


Retired Mercenaries' Home Owner's Association

by Thanatoaster



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Curtain Fic, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Gen, M/M, Parenthood, Period-Typical Homophobia, Surrogacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-07-08 05:34:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 124,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19864327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thanatoaster/pseuds/Thanatoaster
Summary: Tavish + Jane, and the family they make.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to Nathalie for the beta read

It was early in the morning as the sun began to creep above the horizon. It flickered in and out of view behind the hydro poles as Jane drove through New Mexico. Laid out on the passenger's seat was a map of the area, with one small spot circled in red.

Tavish's house.

Jane's house.

Their house.

About a month before the end of the gravel war, they'd had a frank discussion about the future of their relationship. It was obvious that they didn't want things to end, why would they? They had been together for years, and living far apart wasn't an obstacle they wanted to deal with. It was Tavish's idea to circumvent the problem altogether, by inviting Jane to move in with him.

And that's why he was here, only a week after leaving BLU, driving down the highway in a rental car packed with all his worldly possessions. Jane was a good mixture of excitement and nerves. The excitement was a given, he was going to live in a mansion with Tavish, and they would never have to try to kill each other again. But even though the mansion was Tavish's, his mother still lived there, and Jane was terrified she wouldn't like him. Jane was good with old ladies, but this was going to be different. This was Tavish's mother, a woman who would be confronted with the fact that her son was dating the new addition to their household, something Tavish hadn't bothered to tell her until this week. Jane doubted things would go smoothly, no matter how much Tavish tried to reassure him.

He didn't have much longer to worry though, as the turn onto Tavish's street was just ahead. Less than a mile down the road he saw it: the mansion was huge, big enough to get lost in, something he didn't have to worry about back in his own bachelor’s apartment.

The clock on the dashboard read 06:37 when he pulled up into the driveway. Tavish was never awake this early in the morning, but Jane hoped he had made an exception for today. He slammed his fist on the horn, announcing his presence.

Inside the house Tavish jerked awake so hard he rolled off the couch

He landed on the floor with a _wumph_ and a series of curses, his brain clouded by his sudden return to reality. Bloody cars waking him up in the middle of the night and this shitty couch with its uncomfortable springs-

Wait. Couch? Why was he down here in the living room instead of up in-

Jane.

The thought made him jump up even faster than the car horn, practically sprinting to the front door. As he opened the way to the front driveway, he tried to calm himself so he didn’t look like an over-excited buffoon in front of his boyfriend.

He tried and failed in that endeavour, only make it a couple of steps before breaking into a sprint again. Jane’s rental car was all the way up the house, still running but parked. Its driver looked nervous, dressed in an approximation of civilian clothes but still sporting a helmet halfway over his eyes. That thing was probably a road-hazard, but Tavish couldn’t care less.

Upon seeing Tavish's big, goofy grin, all of Jane's nervousness evaporated. He turned off the ignition, leaving the keys in the car and scrambled out the door. Tavish was a few feet away, far enough for Jane to get a running start before tackling him in a hug. Tavish wrapped his arms around Jane and used the momentum to lift him into a spin. It lasted only about two seconds before the weight became too much, and they both collapsed onto the grass in a laughing heap.

“God I missed you,” Jane sighed. They'd only been apart for a week, but the anticipation had made it feel like an eternity.

“I missed you more,” Tavish said, and Jane swatted him for being corny.

If they were at work, they had to be mortal enemies. If they were in public, they just had to be friends. Now it had all changed for them- things finally seemed to be looking up, and they couldn’t help but feel horrendously optimistic.

They both struggled to their feet, Tavish’s joints still full of early-morning creaks. Once up, he put both of his hands on the side of Jane’s face, to get a good look at him. His breath was terrible, and his eyes had bags under them despite being wide in excitement.

“You look like shite, mate. C’mon, let’s go get some breakfast in you.”

“This is what it look like when you are awake for 24 hours and drink nothing but coffee,” Jane explained, “not that I'm against breakfast.”

Jane grabbed Tavish's hand, a motion so normal but unnatural for them, having had to hide their relationship for so long. They laced their fingers together, and Jane tugged Tavish back to the door.

“Do I get the grand tour? Do you ever get lost?”

Tavish chuckled. “No, not anymore,” he said, and Jane brought the two of them into the house. “I’ll show you around the first floor, but nae a grand tour, Mum’s still asleep at this hour.”

“OH! Right, I shouldn't have honked the horn,” Jane said sheepishly, following Tavish into a kitchen that matched the largeness of the rest of the house. Everything looked expensive and clean, much unlike Jane's apartment. It was intimidating in a way, and he couldn't help but wonder if he could really fit in here. “So about your mum,” Jane shuffled his feet. “Did you talk to her? About... you know.”

“Hm?” Tavish asked as he examined the eggs. “Talk about what?”

“Tavish...” Jane groaned, his voice straining in fear. “You said you would talk to her about me! About... us. Does she even know I'm going to be here when she wakes up?”

Tavish turned to look at him. “Of course she knew you were coming,” he blinked. “I’ve been making preparations and all that for a week, nothing escapes her notice.”

Jane let out a long breath and buried his face into his hands. “Why did you make me think... never mind.” He watched Tavish crack the eggs. “So, how did she take it?”

“Oh, she’s pissed,” Tavish said. “Talked my ear off for three days about why I didn’t tell her sooner and how she’s known me for four decades and she should know everything about me life blah bluh bla bla blah.”

All the color drained from Jane's face in an instant.

Tavish tossed the egg up into the air, flipping it perfectly back into the pan. He looked over at Jane, a grin on his face.

“First try!”

“She hates me already. We haven't even met, and she hates me.” Jane grabbed his helmet with both hands. “How can you just be flipping eggs at a time like this?” He violently pointed a finger at Tavish, eyes wide. “How dare you let me ruin your mother's life!”

Tavish blinked in confusion.

“Ruin her life? Lad, you moving in here isn’t going to ruin her life. Woman could actually use some more people moving in, have people besides me to argue with.” But Tavish could see the edges of panic still creeping in on Jane. He carefully stepped away from the stove and held Jane by the shoulders. “Hey, it’s alright, aye?” He reassured. “She doesn’t hate you. Like you said, she hasn’t even met you yet.”

Jane just groaned again. “I knew this was going to go badly.”

“…Let me put in the toast.”

It was a good thing Jane was easily distracted by food. Two glasses of orange juice and some rye bread later, they were munching more calmly, talking about moving Jane’s stuff in. Sunlight peeked in through the window, but the good food distracted them both from their crappy nights sleep. When they had cleaned up, Tavish slipped and arm around Jane’s waist for a half hug.

“Ready for that tour, Jane?”

Jane threw his own arm over Tavish's shoulders, giving him a squeeze. The food had done a lot to both wake him up and improve his mood.

“I'd like that. I still can't believe how fancy this place is,” Jane admitted. “You'd think you were some stuck-up prick like the Spies.”

“Hey, living in a nice house doesn’t mean you’re a roaster,” Tavish argued. “And you could be living someplace nice if you chose to, you know.”

Tavish let him contemplate that for a bit, showing him around the living room and some of the trophy rooms on the first floor, which contained most of the DeGroot heritage items. There was a gym, a recreation room, a library, and a dining room no one used unless Mum had her Ladies Bridge Night over. The conservatory led out to the grounds and Mum’s herb garden, where they toured until Tavish needed a sit down. They sat by the edge of a pond, Jane resting his head on Tavish’s shoulder while the two of them watched the fountain.

“…and upstairs is the study, and some of the places I work on me bombs. There are a bunch of spare rooms that have more ancient swords ‘n stuff, but we never use ‘em.” Tavish paused. “You know, the more we go over this, the more it seems like I live in the house from Cluedo.”

“What in Washington's name is a Cluedo?” Jane asked, lifting his head to stare at Tavish.

“Y’know, Cluedo. Board game? Got to find who the murder is by moving your piece to all the rooms?” When Soldier continued to look at him like was nuts, he continued. “Like, ‘I think it was Miss Scarlet in the Study with the lead pipe’?” Tavish knew Soldier didn’t have much of a childhood, so the fact he had never played such a classic board game shouldn’t come as a shock.

“Hey wait, I remember that game!” Jane said. “Scout was always trying to make us play board games, but it was just called Clue, not Cluedo.” He made a bit of a face. “I didn't play it, though. Too many rules.”

Tavish rolled his eye. “You think everything has too many rules. Lord knows how you can get through a game of poker without bursting a blood vessel.”

Tavish spent the next several minutes listening to Jane insist he knew how to play lots of games, convincing no one except maybe the ducks floating by. How the ducks had come to be here Tavish had no idea, but they seemed to be a permanent fixture in the yard now.

“Alright, alright,” Tavish interrupted. “Let’s say we go back inside? Mum should be up now, and we should get these introductions out of the way.”

“Ok,” Jane sucked in a deep breath. “And then we can move my stuff in, I have to drive that rental to the drop-off by five.”

Tavish nodded, and they went back to the house. They made it to the porch, and Tavish went inside to make sure Mum was there. She was having her morning tea, breakfast dishes already in the sink.

“And where have you been?” She said without looking up.

“I’ve been with Jane, giving him a tour of the house,” Tavish replied patiently. “C’mon, you knew he was coming today.”

Mum grunted.

“And you’re going to come out and meet him, show him you not being a grouch about the whole thing. Aye?”

She grunted again, and gulped down the rest of her tea. “Alright, fine, show me the boyfriend. I dunnae have all day.”

Tavish guided her to the veranda, where Jane was sitting on the porch swing and kicking his feet. Tavish felt an essence of ceremony, placing a hand on his mother’s back like they were standing before the queen.

“Jane, this is me Mum. Mum, this Jane, me best friend and the love of my life.”

Jane looked up from his seat on the porch, helmet still knocking around over his eyes. He has to admit she wasn't quite what he had expected; he’d been thinking a large, tall woman with an intimidating presence to match her personality. But what Jane saw was a petite, wiry old lady with a stern look on her face.

“Good morning, Mrs. DeGroot,” he barked awkwardly, lifting his hand in a little wave, though he dropped it upon remembering the fact she couldn't see. He looked at Tavish with a silent plea for him to tell him what to do, but Tavish didn't seem to notice, preferring to just let the two of them figure each other out by themselves.

Mrs. DeGroot frowned, and tilted her head.

“C’mere, lad. Let me get a good look at you.” She crooked one of her hands in a come-hither motion.

“Ok.” Jane stood up from where he was seated and took a few shuffling steps until he was standing in front of her. He completely dwarfed her small frame, which was aggravated by the fact that she was hunched over quite heavily.

Once she was certain Jane was directly in front of her, Mrs. DeGroot reached up and touched his face. He tensed under her fingers, but eventually relaxed as her hands began to explore his contours. She ran both of them along his nose, along his cheekbones and temples, searching higher until they bumped against the edge of his helmet. There was his prominent brow, his smaller eyes, the slight underbite.

It was an interesting experience, to say the least. Jane had never had someone pat his face so thoroughly, but after a few seconds she was finished, and stepped back with her hands on her hips. Jane waited expectantly, worried that out of all the things he could get kicked out for, it might be simply for being too ugly.

“So, you’re Jane then?” She demanded, her voice disapproving to anyone who didn’t know her well enough.

“Yes,” Jane nodded hesitantly.

“And you make me boy happy?”

“Yes ma'am,” Jane said, summoning as much confidence as he could. “Tavish means everything to me, his happiness is the most important thing in the world!”

“Good,” she said with the faintest trace of a smile. “If you told me anything else I’d throw you out of here faster than you can say ‘cross company relations’.”

“Mum!” Tavish protested, finally breaking his stony silence.

Mrs. DeGroot barked out a laugh. “Ach, hold it together, Tav. I’m just playing with the lad. He’s jumpier than two hares tied together, and I haven't even put me mean face on.” She directed her next words to Jane. “Dunnae worry, lad. Keep up that ‘ma’am’ business ‘n remember who’s in charge and you’ll do just fine.”

She shuffled back into the kitchen unassisted. Tavish grinned and patted Jane on the back. “See? I knew she’d like you.”

“It went better than I was expecting. You made it sound like she was going to come out here and start beating me with that cane.” Jane offered a wry smile. “Anyway, I figure I'll grab my clothes from the car, and then you can show me upstairs.”

Jane was eager to begin unpacking, but wasn't sure how this was going to work. He had assumed they would share a room—they had always shared a bed and it seemed like the natural thing for two people in a relationship—but he suddenly wondered if Tavish's mom living here would change that. Some families believed in no sharing a bed before marriage, but since they couldn't get married anyway, Jane wasn't sure if thatapplied.

“Am I in your room then?” he asked nervously.

Tavish smiled. “If it’s something you’re okay with, I’d love if you’d share a room with me. I’ve gotten rid of a lot of crap and made some empties drawers for you; it’s all set and ready to go.”

“Ok!” Jane grinned. That was all he had needed to hear.

He left Tavish by the door and ran over to the car, opening the trunk and lifting out the one large suitcase that contained all of his clothes. He slammed the lid back down on the few boxes that remained inside, and followed Tavish back into the house and up the stairs.

Tavish led Jane to his—no, their room—and opened the door for him. A lamp sat on top of a nightstand with a few fantasy books, all items necessary for late night reading. The wardrobe was neater than usual, and the floor was empty of dirty clothes. A walk-in closet hung open, emptied in expectation. The walls were covered with small DeGroot heraldries and insignias, the vanity rimmed with photos of Tavish and Jane. The photos were all new, as ones from before the War had been destroyed in a fit of pride, but there were plenty from after that, displaying their happiest memories together. There were also a few of Tavish and his team, as well as some of him and his Mum. None of his Da, though. Those were too old and precious to be let outside the photo album.

The bed was a soft yellow that matched the creamy floral wallpaper. It was a bit tacky, but the sun rising out the window in the morning made the whole room glow with warmth. The left side of the room had been cleared the most thoroughly, a few bits of furniture shuffled downstairs to make room for the new occupant. Jane always liked to sleep on the left.

“Welcome to your new home,” Tavish said, a little softer than intended.

Jane immediately gravitated towards the photos on the vanity, placing his suitcase on the floor before inspecting the small pictures wedged into the mirror frame. Images of him and Tavish far outnumbered the others, and Jane couldn't help but smile at the idea of Tavish looking at them every morning.

“It already feels like home,” Jane admitted. The cozy atmosphere and little signs of Tavish made it feel like somewhere he wanted to be.

They put away Jane’s clothes. Tavish had cleared far too much space for Jane, whose wardrobe consisted of two old BLU uniforms, a few pairs of jeans, some plain colored t-shirts, socks, and an abundance of American flag boxers. Tavish said something about getting him more clothes, but Jane just shrugged it off.

They toured the rest of the second floor, Tavish pointing out Mrs. DeGroot’s room as they passed it. The study was plain, mostly used for when Mum wanted to sharpen up her old bomb making skills. Most of the other rooms were used for storage, and the top two floors were empty, but there were a few other rooms on the second floor Tavish wanted to show Jane.

“These aren’t even used for storage,” Tavish explained. “So, if you want to make these your own, you could take up a hobby or something. Think of them just like a study you can use for whatever you like.”

“I really don't want to impose. I wouldn't even know what to do with this much space,” Jane admitted.“maybe I'll think of something later.”

They returned to the first floor to get the rest of Jane's belongings. He opened up the trunk and dumped the two boxes into Tavish's arms, he then grabbed one large one out the back.

“Where should I put this? These are all my “Guns and Haircuts” magazines.”

When they were going back to grab the rest of Jane’s stuff, Tavish had been expecting more… well, stuff. “You, er, still have a lot of room in the closet? You could put them in there?”

Jane nodded, and hauled his own box off towards the house. 

“So, Jane,” Tavish said as they tucked the boxes away in the closet. “You don't live in that little apartment anymore, we’ve got plenty of space. Do you want some more… I don't know, personal effects? The whole side of the room is yours to personalize.”

“Personal effects, huh?” Jane pondered, looking around the room. His trusty entrenching tool was leaned up against the wall on what was now his side of the room, but the rest of his weapons had been reclaimed by BLU. Everything else in his apartment he figured Tavish already had, like furniture and can openers, or he just didn't need anymore. “Uh, that's really about it,” he said, suddenly feeling awkward surrounded by hundreds of trinkets related to Tavish's own family history. He shrugged. “I've never really had much of a need for things. I wouldn't know what to get.”

“Well, don't worry about it then,” Tavish covered hastily. “If that’s the last of it, do you want to go drop the rental off?”

* * *

After settling the car, their conversation morphed into plans for the next couple weeks. Tavish was most concerned with Jane getting a permanent vehicle, since the ability to get around was important out in the middle of nowhere where everything was so far apart.

“…and no offense lad, but you’re shite with money,” Tavish noted. “We can go check out cars sometime tomorrow, and make big purchases together. We’ll just share funds until the both of us can get a new job.”

“Thanks Tavish,” Jane said, perking up at the thought. “I've never owned a car, only rented one when I needed it. This can be the start of my 'personal effects'.”

Tavish kept his mouth shut instead of saying that wasn't quite what he meant, preferring to just let Jane be happy with the idea.

The ride home was shorter, as Tavish didn't constantly take the wrong turns like Jane had on the way to the rental place. When they got back, Jane collapsed on the couch. He was exhausted. Driving all night and excitement all morning had him completely drained.

“Tired already?” Tavish asked as he came back into the living room. He sat in the small corner not taken up by Jane’s flopped over body.

Jane just groaned in reply. Tavish chuckled. He didn’t blame Jane for crashing, the day had been pretty eventful. He leaned over and began to rub the small of Jane’s back, getting an appreciative hum.

“Mum’s out in the garden, says she won’t be in until tonight. If you want to turn in early, I wouldn’t mind. I could use a few winks myself.”

Jane yawned, wiggling his body to scoot a bit closer to Tavish until he could take off his helmet and put his head on Tavish's lap. He lay on his side, cheek squashed against Tavish's thigh.

“I am not a toddler, and I do not need naps.” This was punctuated by another yawn.

Tavish moved his hand from Jane’s back to his head, stroking his hair. “Of course you don't need a nap. Silly me. What was I thinking?”

Tavish felt his head falling to side after a few minutes, and he had to keep snapping back upright. Jane was breathing slowly, either asleep or just very relaxed. Tavish wanted to lie down too, but there wasn’t enough space on the couch for both of them.

“And here we have ‘em! Two lazy louts spending their whole day on the couch!”

Tavish jerked up, not even realizing he had fallen asleep. The living room had gone dark, and his mother stood over the two of them displeased.

“We didn’t spend the whole day here,” Tavish protested, but Mum merely scoffed.

“If you’re going to fall asleep, at least go back to your bed. Sleep on the couch, catch a cold in the head.”

Jane had woken up by that point, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I am not sleeping,” he croaked, then coughed to clear his throat. “Although I could use a rest.” Jane wasn't one to admit weakness, but he was getting older, and couldn't bounce back after a sleepless night like he used to. “Sorry ma'am, I promise I'll be back in fighting shape by tomorrow.”

“Good lad,” she told Jane, then pointed her chin at Tavish until he relented.

“Alright, alright, we’re going off to bed.”

Jane and Tavish got up, stretching the cricks out of their old bones, all the while re-affirming they would go out tomorrow. Tavish promised his Mum they’d look for new jobs as soon as they got Jane a car. She reluctantly agreed, and Tavish kissed goodnight before she bustled up to her room.

Tavish grinned at Jane. “Ready to head up?”

Jane nodded, grabbing his helmet from the floor and following Tavish up the stairs. In their bedroom Tavish closed the curtains while Jane got partially undressed, shucking off his jacket, shoes, and pants before collapsing on the bed. It was soft, softer than any bed Jane had ever slept on, and he sighed, pulling the blankets out from under him and up to his chin.

By the time Tavish came back Jane had already cocooned himself in the blankets, curled over on his side and hugging one of his pillows. Tavish wormed his way into Jane’s wrap of blankets, the warmth necessary as the desert cooled for the night. They didn’t say anything to each other, but Tavish pressed a kiss to Jane’s neck as he pulled the Soldier to his chest. Jane sighed, perfectly peaceful.

How wonderful this moment was. Together, they fought off the night’s chill with their combined body heat. They were relaxed, contented, and would never have to worry about the discovery of their relationship again. (Well, they probably would, but not the ‘being assassinated’ sort of worry.) But they had each other, a bed that they shared, a home to come back to.

“I love you Janey,” Tavish sighed, unprompted.

“I love you too,” Jane said, smiling into Tavish's chest. Despite his tiredness the significance of the moment was not lost on him.

He really did feel truly home, in this cozy bed with Tavish's arms wrapped around him. It was all he could possibly ask for. The mansion was nice, the money was helpful, but finally being with the man he loved, not worrying that they'd be found out, lying together and knowing neither of them had to leave in the morning, that was the best thing in the world. Tavish traced his bare foot on the inside of Jane’s calf, provoking a rather un-manly giggle. But Tavish didn’t really want to start a tickle fight right now, he just wanted to fall asleep with Jane’s breath on his ear. Sleep without worry of the next day is the best kind, and they fell slowly into it.


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up the next morning was slow for Jane. The two of them had broken apart during the night, so Jane rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked over at Tavish. He was still asleep, no surprise there, and facing away from Jane. Normally he'd wake up Tavish with yelling about how he shouldn't waste the day, but he figured today counted as a special occasion and they could stay in bed a bit longer.

Jane rolled over to Tavish and put an arm around him, pressing a kiss to his nape before snuggling up against his back. It felt so good to be able to do this. Even when they had been on on vacation from RED and BLU, they had always packed their trips with activities and had to be up bright an early every day.

Tavish woke to Jane’s breath on the back of his neck. After a few seconds of sleepy thought, Tavish decided not to waste the opportunity. It wasn’t until a little later, when he decided to arch his back in a first day stretch, that he realized Jane was already awake. He slid his shoulder, turning so that he could look at Jane’s half-closed eyes.

“You’re up?” he asked, so used to Jane’s early wake-up calls.

“Mmhm,” Jane replied, dragging Tavish fully onto his back so he could once again snuggle up beside him.

“Do we have to go car shopping today?” He yawned. ”I'd rather just stay here with you.”

Despite being the “responsible one,” Tavish mostly relied on Jane’s motivation to get them out of bed in the morning. He was completely content to lie there, especially when the car shopping could wait another day.

“Oh, I dunno lad. Mum would be pretty mad if we didn’t go out today. You’d have to come up with something very convincing to make me incur her rage. Tell me people who drive cars have a sixty percent higher chance of early death than people who don't drive, or something."

“...people who drive cars have a sixty percent higher early death rate than people who don't drive,” Jane parroted, earning a laugh from Tavish. “Well... I don't really mean that. We should get up, I just want a little bit longer to enjoy lying here with you. This is everything I've ever wanted.”

Jane’s voice was soft, almost uncharacteristically so, rumbling in his chest and he pressed into Tavish. It still seemed far too loud in the small room.

“I want this too,” Tavish affirmed. “I never realized how badly I wanted this until I brought it up. I’m just… all the years we missed because of our stupid jobs.” He jostled the soldier. “Speaking of making time, it’s about when we should be getting up.”

Jane groaned, but got the hint. They got out of bed, stretching. Tavish opened the curtains, washing the room in bright yellow light..

“There’s a second bathroom down the hall if you want to take a shower,” Tavish said as he pulled clean clothes from his dresser.

It took Jane about fifteen minutes to get ready, although five of them were spent trying to figure out how to work the shower. When he came back to put his laundry in the room he could still hear Tavish's shower going. No surprise there- Tavish was one to stand in the hot water for an hour. Leaving him be, Jane continued downstairs to the kitchen. He spotted the coffeemaker, and after a bit of digging through cupboards he was able to find everything he needed to get it brewing.

He poured himself a cup and sat at the kitchen table, leaving the pot for Tavish when he came down.

However, it wasn’t Tavish to come down at the sound of Jane’s bustling. Mrs. DeGroot stepped into the kitchen and immediately demanded, “and what are you doing up so late? I thought you two promised you’d be out of the house looking for a car or some balderdash.”

Jane stared awkwardly at her, trying to figure out what to say. “Uh... it's morning,” He said, figuring that she thought it was night time because she was blind. “I made coffee, would you like some? We are going car shopping after breakfast.”

“It’s not morning, it’s noon!” She snapped, but took a mug of coffee as she did so. She sat opposite Jane.

“That boy,” she tutted to herself. “Here I thought you were going to be a good influence on him. Everything he told me lead me to believe you weren’t some lazy-bones.”

“I'm not lazy!” Jane barked. “I am an American soldier, trained in discipline and waking up early! But I was up all night driving here, and I haven't figured out a routine yet.” He started grumbling something under his breath. “Not lazy...”

“Mmm-hmm,” Mrs. DeGroot said, unimpressed. “Alright, American-Soldier-Trained-In-Discipline, why don't you prove that by making us some lunch?”

Jane was about to say army training didn't include cooking, but he had to impress her somehow. He stood up and opened the fridge, hoping to find inspiration inside. He could make scrambled eggs, but that was breakfast food, or sandwiches, but those were too simple, and he saw no lunch-meats in the fridge. Everything else he ate generally came out of a can.

He swallowed. “Any preferences? Something you'd like?”

“Whatever the chef recommends.”

Jane straightened his spine, suppressingthe urge to tap his foot before turning back to the kitchen. He flung open cupboards, searching for an instant item with instructions on the back, but much to his dismay the only canned foods Tavish had were ingredients, rather than prepared meals.

He grabbed a can of tomato sauce and looked at the label. It was just the same as tomato soup, right? Thankfully, Tavish came down the stairs in order to save them from whatever Jane was planning to unleash. “Morning everyone. What are you two up to?”

“Jane here was just making us some lunch,” Mrs. DeGroot said, a little too smugly.

“He is?” Tavish blinked. As far as he knew, Jane couldn’t make much beyond rations and reheated ribs. The fact he was holding a Jar of tomato sauce was concerning.

"Yes," Jane said, with far too much confidence for someone holding a jar of tomato sauce, “I am making our lunch. Rations for all!”

“I was looking at this can of tomato, and thinking about what to make with it,but I am still looking for ingredients. I am not familiar with your kitchen.”

Tavish looked at his mother with an unamused expression. Shesensed his disapproval, and returned it with a completely innocent raise of her eyebrows. Tavish shook his head.

“C’mon Jane,let me…” an offer of help would probably hurt Jane’s pride, so Tavish went it about differently. “…Let me show you where all of the ingredients are.”

Tavish opened up a lower cupboard. “Here’s where we keep our fresh vegetables,” hesaid pointedly, hoping Jane would get the picture.

“I see,” Jane said, trying to maskhis relief. “Fresh produce is the backbone of a good meal!”

One by one,Tavish got Jane to pull out cheese, oil, and various spices, helping him on his way to make a simple salad. Soon they were all sitting around the salad bowl, scooping out portions and noticing it wasn’t half bad.

When they were done, Mrs. DeGroot smiled at the both of them. “Well,Mr Soldier. You certainly ‘made food’.” She wouldn’t ascribe any more judgment than that, only that Jane had completed his assigned task. She cleaned her dish, and bustled out to the garden.

Tavish patted Jane on the back. “You really have to figure out when she’s teasing you, mate. Otherwise she’s going to be getting’ your goat day in and day out.”

“She was teasing me?” Jane asked, outraged. “How was I supposed to know that?”

Tavish smiled sadly. “I know you’re trying to impress her, Jane, but it’s a much bigger task than you’re imagining. Trust me, I’ve been trying for 40 years. Just… if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask, aye?”

“Ok,” Jane said, the corners of his mouth twitching downwards into a frown.

Once the dishes had been cleaned up, Jane followed Tavish out to the car. They drove to town with the radio on low, and Jane looked out the window, making a mental map of the area.

If he were a shrewd man, Tavish would know that it takes at least a month to buy a car at a reasonable price. However, Tavish was not a shrewd man but a rich man, and honestly didn’t give a shit.

The day at the car lot was just as tedious as Tavish expected. Jane was ecstatic, swallowing every word the slick-haired salesman threw out. But Tavish wasn’t there to let Jane be taken advantage of, and talked him out of the 20 cylinder truck the salesman had been pushing. In the end, Jane settled on a Camaro that had caught his fancy, with a retractable roof and two seatbelts.

And in blue, of course.

* * *

Over the next few days Jane was up at 6am every morning, much to Tavish's chagrin. The property was huge, and offered interesting scenery for Jane during his morning drills. By seven thirty he would return inside, shower, and make himself coffee. Mrs. DeGroot usually got up around that time, and no longer had anything to say about his sleeping schedule.

One morning, Tavish had to get up early for a job interview. He'd promised Jane they would go job hunting together, but he'd sent out an application before Jane had moved in, and didn't have much of a choice but to follow up on it.

So now Jane found himself at the kitchen table, staring at a newspaper, bored out of his mind. It was the first day he and Tavish weren't going to spend together since he had moved in, so he tried to occupy himself every single article in the paper.

Mrs. DeGroot appeared beside him, as though out of thin air.

“So, Thatcher sink the island into the ocean yet, or is she still running around claiming boat people are living in her bathtub?”

“I haven't seen anything about that yet,” Jane replied, brows knitting together. How she could tell he was reading the paper he couldn’t guess..“Do you need me to help you with anything?”

“Now there’s a good lad,” she replied. “It’s almost like you read my mind. The radio says there’s a jazz festival in the city tonight, and I can never go unless Tavish is here to ferry me around. But now, I got two do-nothings in me house instead of one, so I’ve come to commandeer you for a ride.”

“Yes Ma'am! I'd be happy to drive you wherever you need to go!” Jane jumped out of his chair. He was already halfway to the door when he processed her words. “Wait, tonight? What time do you want to go?”

“Well, since you’re already so enthusiastic, we might as well head out now. I can go shopping beforehand, and we don't have to worry about being late.”

Before Jane could reply, she was already leaving a note for Tavish on the kitchen island.

Having nothing better to do, Jane grabbed his keys and waited for her to follow him. He opened the passenger's side door for her, doing his best to show he knew proper manners. They were on the road in no time, Jane following the route to the city that Tavish always took.

“So where exactly are we going?” Jane asked.

“Milton Park, that’s where they said the festival was happening. It starts at eight though, and I want to go to the flea market first. Should be right outside the exit, you can't miss it.”

They drove all the way to the city, and the flea market was right where Mrs DeGroot said it would be. Jane once again held the door open for her, and they joined the hustle and bustle of good sales being made.

“Alright Jane, be a good lad and tell me when you see the old electronics stalls.”

Jane looked around a bit, trying to find what she was looking for. Eventually he saw the stalls on the far side of the area.

“They're at the other end of the market. If you grab my arm I'll take you there.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed Jane with the hand that wasn’t holding her cane. As they neared the stalls, Mrs. DeGroot laid out her plan.

“Alright, here’s how it’s goin’ tae go: I’m goin’ tae shop, and I’m going to select a few pieces to salvage for spare parts. Your job is to convince me to buy every single one of the selections, no matter how much I argue with you. If I walk away without a single piece overpaid, you’ll win the prize for best Good Cop o’ the day. And make sure you do it loudly!

“So you want me to argue with you?” Jane frowned, not in total understanding. At least he knew how to be loud. “I can do that.”

When they reached the first table she let go of his arm and started to feel the items for sale, occasionally asking the man behind the table for some details. Jane watched, pretending to understand what was going on.

Mrs. DeGroot asked the price and put on her authoritative voice when the owner tried to short change her. She picked up a two-way radio and gave it a shake, unimpressed by the distinctive sound of loose parts rattling. Why would she ever want this? How could he expect to sell something so chaffy?

This went on for several minutes, eventually working to each of her selected items. He was starting to get frustrated, and she gave Jane the signal.

“I mean look at this, Jane!” she said with a wave of an electronic hot plate. “It’s junk, is what it is!”

“That's not junk!” Jane scoffed, getting the idea. “This is a proper hot plate! I had the same one, worked for years. Hell, I bet this one still works too.” The salesman raised an eyebrow at him. He hadn't expected Jane to join the conversation, and he seemed pleased.

Mrs. DeGroot put a hand to her chin, as though considering Jane’s suggestion.

“Fine. Maybe it’s not worthless. But what sort of excuses can you make for this?” she demanded while brandishing electric tweezers.

They went down the line like that, Mrs DeGroot only bringing up the items she had decided on ahead of time. The salesman occasionally interrupted to back up Jane in his praise, but otherwise looked on hopefully as Mrs. DeGroot appeared to be persuaded. By the time his two customers were done, he had gone through such a rollercoaster of emotions that he was more than willing to be haggled down to a dirt-cheap price.

“You did good, Mr Soldier,” she told Jane as they walked back to the car each holding an armful of future bomb parts. “Tavish never does it right, always forgets and ends up yelling at the poor sap.”

“Glad to be of service!” He didn't want to one-up Tavish, but it was nice to help out. “I'm sure Tavish does his best. He just wants to protect you.”

“Ha!” Mrs DeGroot said as she dumped her load into the back seat. “Oh, he wants to protect me alright. Doesn't let me forget it. Whenever I tell him I can tie me own shoelaces he gives me the old ‘if you care about someone, you worry about them too'. Like that makes me feel any less like a vegetable.”

Jane frowned, noticing he'd touched a nerve. “He really means it though. He knows you can take care of yourself, he just can't help but worry. You're the only close family he has left, and he doesn't want to lose you.”

She frowned, but didn’t say anything more.

She was quiet all the way to the Jazz festival, only breaking her contemplative mood when the sound of the first band buzzed through the windows of Jane’s car. They found a spot and put down a blanket they had brought along, and settled in for the night.

Mrs. DeGroot hummed along as the next band came out; their song was often on the radio. “One thing I will say about Americans: you have some damn fine music.”

Jane grinned.. “Of course we do! America has the best music. America has the best everything!”

She looked at him for a moment, as though trying to determine if he was making a joke. Soon she realized he wasn’t and frowned.

“Well, I can tell you that’s a load of crap. Your food is shite and your country’s too hot. And Scotland will always have a better sense of dress.”

Jane's face twisted as he did his best to maintain composure. “You must be mistaken,” He ground out through clenched teeth, “or you haven't had real American food. And of course it's hot, it's New Mexico!” Jane's control began to slip. “Don't get me started on the clothes... you... you of all people, with your men wearing dresses... pretending you have better clothes!” The last word came out as a growl as he failed to withhold his contempt.

He couldn't help himself. Just because she was Tavish's mother didn't give her the right to insult the best country in the world. That didn't stop his from sitting stiff as a board, in fear for her response.

Mrs. DeGroot, however, was just surprised he was showing a little backbone. “A kilt is something to be proud of. It’s a symbol of dignity. Do you have something against skirts lad? I’ll have you know I’m wearing a skirt right now!”

“You are woman wearing a skirt. That's normal. What isn't normal is men parading around in skirts, especially without any underwear!” Jane flung his arms up as if that somehow illustrated his point.

“You’ve got a barmy definition of what normal is.” Before Jane could protest, another band started playing. “Now, are you going to argue with me this whole time, or are we going to enjoy some bloody music? I'd prefer the latter.”

Jane opened his mouth to continue arguing, but thought better of it. He decided to let it go and listen to the music.

The band was good, and before Jane knew it, he'd forgotten all about the conversation and tapped his fingers to the beat. They stayed well into the night, grabbing dinner from one of the stalls set along park’s edge. They mostly listened; only chatting when there were breaks in the music. By time the last band played, they had worked themselves into a terribly cheerful mood.

As they drove back home, Mrs. DeGroot said, “you did fine today, Mr. Doe. Far better than I was expecting. We might make a go-getter out of you yet.”

“I am already a go-getter ma'am, but I appreciate the compliment. You aren't so bad yourself.”

Soon, they pulled into the driveway. Jane exited the car, and ran to the other side to open the door for Mrs. DeGroot. She thanked him curtly, and they each grabbed an armful of scrap electronics and headed into the mansion.

“Tavish! We are home!” Jane yelled, dumping the junk by the door.

Tavish sprung from his place on the couch, as though he hadn’t been pacing nervously for the past few hours. He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and pulled Jane into a rib-crushing hug.

“You two have fun in the city?” he asked, trying to keep the smile plastered to his face.

“Yes! We went shopping for broken things, and then we listened to music, and ate food, then came home,” Jane said. “How did your interview go?”

“Great! They said-”

“It better have gone great,” Mrs DeGroot interrupted. “I want you to have job by the end of the month, Tavish. Mark my words you’re on the slippery slope to bein’ drunken tramp.”

Tavish blinked, surprised by his mother’s sudden outburst. But she wasn’t done.

“Same goes for you,” she said, turning on Jane. “You better start pulling your weight, otherwise I’ll start to doubt you’re no more than a freeloader mooching off my son’s hospitality. Don't think a day of fun will make me forget that.”

With that, she went for the stairs, leaving the two men staring after her in shock.

“ I still want to hear what they said,” Jane said, smiling at Tavish. He grabbed Tavish's hands in his own, trying to stay positive. “You think you'll get it?”

“I… I hope so. They said they take about ten applicants per quarter, so I have a good shot.”

Tavish stared after his mother, anger bubbling in his stomach. He turned to Jane and squeezed his hand.

“She shouldn’t talk to you like that. She can yell at me all she likes, but… and after you took her out for a day! Ungrateful…”

“Don't worry about me. She's right, I have to get a job soon.” He tried to joke, but Tavish's face remained stern. “I'm serious Tav. It doesn't bother me when she says stuff like that. In fact, it makes me happy she treats me the same as you.”

“Hm.” Tavish wouldn’t be convinced. “Just… don’t take it to heart, alright? You’re not mooching or anything, part of being in a relationship is supporting one another.”

Jane shrugged. “Well, I had fun anyway. Missed you though.” He had a cheeky grin on his face, and shuffled back closer to Tavish, throwing his arms around his neck. “Mm tired. We should go to bed.”

They stood like that for a few seconds, and Tavish made a noise of agreement when Jane tugged him towards the stairs.

* * *

“Making something delicious?” Tavish asked the next morning.

“Scrambled eggs. I don't know how to make anything else for breakfast.” Jane admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “Tastes good, though.”

“I won’t deny that,” Tavish chuckled. “Though I could show you something else sometime if you like. Could teach you how to make skirlie.”

“Squirrely? Are you just making things up to trick me now?” Jane said, scraping the eggs of the pan as they started to cook. “Because I am not cooking with squirrel! Squirrels are ferocious beasts of the forest, only surpassed by raccoons. I would never cook them like dumb livestock!”

“It’s skirlie, and it’s delicious. It’s like porridge only better.” Tavish went over to wash his hands. “Got any plans for today?”

“Not really,” Jane shrugged, still working on the eggs. “I should start looking for a job, right? If you aren't doing anything then we can go into town, and you can show me around a bit more. It will be valuable to know our terrain better.” 

“Are you saying you can’t go into town on your own, Doe?” Mrs. DeGroot demanded as she arrived in the kitchen. “I guess having a bit of backbone doesn’t extend beyond mocking the kilt.”

“Lay off him, Mum,” Tavish snapped.

“I'm fine to go into town alone, I just thought it'd be more fun to go with Tavish.”

“Of course I’ll go into town with you, love,” Tavish reassured Jane, and glared at his mother.

She ignored him. “Looking for a job shouldn’t be fun,” she told Jane, taking a seat at the table.

Jane stuffed his mouth with food to avoid talking. It was disappointing that she was still so hard on his case after having such a great day together, but he knew it was never going to be that easy. He'd only been around for about a week, there was still a long way to go.

He tried to ignore the Tavish’s pitying look, which was almost worse than the pestering itself. The last thing he wanted was Tavish getting angry on his behalf, or worse, fighting even more with his mother because of Jane. He refused to make eye contact, instead staring at the eggs and shovelling more into his mouth. 

“Jane can have as much fun as he wants,” Tavish declared. “He’s not here to impress you, or live up to your stupid standards. Maybe he doesn’t even want to look for a job today, maybe he just wants to see the sights.”

Mrs DeGroot paused with a fork to her mouth. “I just don’t like the thought of him becoming a lay-about. No need tae take that tone with me, Tavish Finnegan.”

“Maybe,” Tavish said, his voice ice. “Or maybe you don’t like him for other reasons.”

“I am looking for a job today!” Jane declared, though even his energy failed to break up the brewing malcontent in the room.

“It’s alright Jane,” Tavish soothed, figuring Jane was trying to break the tension in his own soldier-y way, but also not willing to stop his accusations now that the suspicion had welled up inside him. He turned to his mother again. “Tell me the truth: you’re mad that I didn’t pick a girl.”

Mum’s hand tightened around her fork. Her teeth were bared in almost a snarl, and her face was a twist of emotions, fighting between wanting to voice her true opinion and not. Finally, her jaw slackened, and she set down her utensil.

“Well. It would certainly have made my life much easier if you had.”

“Liar.” Tavish’s hands quivered, laid flat on the table. “When I told you, you said it was fine, that you’d love me no matter what.”

“I do still love you Tavish-”

“Bullshite.” He had never sworn at his mother, but this was something he couldn’t hold back. “If you loved me, you wouldn’t treat one of the few good things in me life like shite.”

Jane was up and out of his chair immediately. He walked around the table until he stood behind Tavish, gently placing his hands on his shoulders and giving a little squeeze.

Jane’s genuine display of support was too much for Tavish. Tears welled up in his eye, and he brought one of his hands to rest over Jane’s. His throat had swelled, almost too much to say anything. He managed to choke out, “let’s go,” before he lost control.

They made it out of the kitchen, Tavish buried his face in his hands. He needed to keep going, he needed to leave the house.

“Can you drive? Please?”

“Of course,” Jane said, his voice barely above a whisper.

They piled into the car and Jane started driving in the general direction of town. He doubted it was a good day for job hunting, but there wasn't any other direction he knew to drive. Finally away from the house and his mother, Tavish finally let himself cry. Jane's lips were pressed in a thin line as he listened to the choked sobs coming from the passenger's seat. Jane spared a glance over to see tears begin dripping off his chin, leaking through despite burying his face in his hands.

A few more minutes of driving and Jane couldn't stand it anymore. He pulled over on a side road and parked the car, turning off the ignition. Tavish didn't even seem to notice the car had stopped, and after a few minutes of silence, Jane grabbed him and pulled him to his chest. Jane wanted to tell him not to cry, but it seemed insensitive after what had happened, so he just settled for. “I'm sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Tavish pleaded. The last thing he wanted was Jane to think it was his fault. “I was… naïve. I should have known things wouldn’t be simple, but for the first week it seemed to be going well and…”

His next few sentences were unintelligible. He buried his face in Jane’s shirt, wondering how could his mother couldn’t tell how great Jane was. All this time, those false assurances, but secretly she’d just been hoping he’d settle down with some woman and carry on the DeGroot family name. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck it all.

“I love you, Jane. I wanted this to work out so badly… I wanted it to work so I ignored all the signs it wouldn’t. I…” He wrapped his arms tighter around Jane. “I don’t what to do.”

Jane rubbed Tavish's back slowly, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple as he continued crying into his shirt.

“Tavish,” he murmured, “It's going to be okay. She does love you, she just thinks her ideas are the only right ones...” Jane sighed, continuing to rub Tavish's back. “I know you wanted everything to be perfect right away, but it's going to take time. You just have to be patient. I promise it'll work out.”

Tavish knew it was sound advice, that Jane was right about it taking time. But his heart was still sunk into his stomach, his mother’s disapproval a bad taste in his mouth he couldn’t get rid of. He was used to her berating him about this and that but he had never thought she’d harbour prejudices about something so essential, especially when she had pretended it hadn’t bothered her.

Gradually, his tears started to slow down, and he surrendered to the gentle back rub Jane was giving him. “You’re right. I know you’re right…” but it still was awful. “I don’t want to go back there for a while. Let’s just keep going into town. I still want to show you the sights.”

“Ok,” Jane said, placing a comforting hand on his back. He grabbed the box of tissues from the back seat, and tossed it onto Tavish's lap before restarting the car.

It was obvious as they drove that Tavish was trying not to think about his mum, but the constant sniffling as he tried to clear his nose made it hard to forget. It had mostly stopped by the time they reached the main road, and Jane waited for suggestions on where to go next.

Tavish directed Jane to drive past the hospital, thinking they’d probably need to go there at some point. If he knew anything about Jane (and even himself) it was that they were enthusiastic about their work and rather lax on safety regulations. A dangerous combination, one that was more concerning now that respawn was no longer an option.

He mumbled through his logic, and Jane nodded in agreement, but after that he wasn’t sure where they should head. He didn’t have the spirit anymore for a guided tour.

“I didn’t have breakfast,” Tavish realized. “Take a left up here, we’ll go to Blue Egg.”

When they got out of the car Jane resisted the urge to grab Tavish's hand, settling instead on just walking close enough for their arms to brush together. They ended up stuffed in a booth near the kitchen, and despite the bustle a waitress came to take their order almost immediately.

They sat in silence until breakfast arrived, Tavish only looking out the window occasionally but not doing much else. After picking at his waffle for an hour, he managed to get it all down. It did little to alleviate the pain in his stomach. He thought holding Jane’s hand might have made him feel a little better, but the diner was too public, and he didn’t want to risk the display being noticed.

He wiped off his face with one of the paper napkins and gazed out the window when he was done, thinking mournfully. He sighed.

“We need to talk about what we’re going to do when we go back.”

“What can we do?” Jane sighed, resting his chin on his palm, “We just have to wait it out, right? I know it's not what you want, but there isn't really any other choice.”

“I… yeah.”

He turned back to the window.

“Janey? How… how can you be so confident? You keep saying things like ‘eventually’ and ‘wait it out’ but… how can you be sure she’ll ever come around? What if she keeps on hating us forever?”

“She won't, Tavish, because she loves you. She wants you to be happy. I'm just betting that in her mind you won't be nearly as happy with me as with… someone else.” Jane inhaled, quickly checking that no one was looking before grabbing Tavish's hand. “It'll just take her a while to figure it out. It even took me a while, remember?”

Jane cracked a smile, referring to his crippling insecurity at the beginning of their relationship. It had taken years for him to really believe Tavish didn't see him as a burden, and wouldn't throw him away if something 'better' came along. They complimented each other well, got along as the best of friends, and loved each other more than they knew they were capable of. Theirs was a relationship that had developed quietly, in private. It seemed fair that to others it might seem sudden, maybe even shallow, but that was just so far from the truth.

Tavish allowed himself a smile, squeezing Jane’s hands.

“Aye, I do,” he agreed. It had been tough working through Jane’s issues, but this was different, something external to their relationship. “Though…I’m not sure that her piss-poor attitude is just because she thinks I’d be happier. I think it runs a lot deeper than that, and I think it’ll be hard to change her mind. Like you said, it’d take a while.”

“I hate to ask you to keep trying to impress her,” Tavish admitted, “with the way she picks at you, you’d think you were a scab.”

“That's gross,” Jane said, making a face, “But I understand what you mean.”

“More coffee, sir?” The waitress appeared out of nowhere, coffee pot in hand. Jane and Tavish jolted apart, and they glanced at the waitress with wide eyes. Luckily, she hadn't noticed anything.

“I- er, no more for me. Can we get the bill?” Jane stuttered out, still a bit shocked by her sudden appearance. She nodded, shimmying off to another table. Jane let out a breath.

“I will keep doing everything I can to make her like me Tavish, don't worry about that.”

Tavish felt guilt prickle him, but he knew it was unfounded. Jane was willing to do this, he was always willing to suffer through things if it made Tavish’s life better. He was tough like that.

The drive home saddened him again, and he wanted nothing more than open up the bar and make a drink. It wouldn’t ease the tension, but at least he wouldn’t be sober anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

The next two weeks passed much as Jane had expected. A dark cloud seemed to loom over the mansion. Tavish was much sadder than usual, sleeping in late no matter how much Jane poked and prodded. Sometimes he would forget, laughing and getting caught up in Jane's antics, but them his mum would enter the room and the smile would drop off his face.

Tavish seemed relieved when he heard back about the interview,  gladto get out of the house and away from his mother, even if was just for work. Jane himself had yet to get so much as an interview, no matter how many resumes he handed out. It seemed if you have no education, and your only prior work experience is killing for money, it's tough to get a job.

Jane was getting frustrated. Being trapped in the house all day— practically alone since Mrs. DeGroot was now avoiding him— didn't do much to expend his energy. Jane's frustration was currently coming to a head in the first floor bathroom, where the weekly maid was attempting to do her job.

“You're wiping, not  cleaning. This is a bathroom, it must be sanitized! You'rejust spreading filth around!” Jane's booming voice echoed in the small bathroom.

The maid, to her credit,  stoodup to Jane despite being half his size.

“This is company policy . Allmaids do it this way! It's perfectly hygienic.”

“Where were you trained, Russia? Because that sounds like some made up communist crap!”

“I was trained like a mile from here , just let me do my job!”

“Nuh-uh, missy. You are only cleaning this house if you do it properly. I want to see you scrubbing that sink with a sponge!”

That was the final straw for themaid, who threw a dirty rag at Jane. She gathered her cleaning supplies and stormed past him.

“Screw you, asshole.” And with that she left the mansion, slamming the door behind her.

Jane was too  aggravatedto see what he'd done wrong, and instead pulled out his own cleaning supplies from the cupboard. He set aboutcleaning the bathroom to his own standards,scrubbing the toilet with reckless abandon, and muttering something about 'commies' under his breath.

“What the bloody hell are you doin gon mybathroom floor?” Avoice came from the door, asthe sound of grumbled McCarthyisms, and the departure of the cleaning van had alerted Mrs. DeGroot toJane'spresence

“Isn't it obvious? I'm cleaning!” Jane snapped . Hedidn't have the patience to watch his tone around her anymore.He scrubbed at a particularly stubborn spot. “That maid was doing a terrible job, and for how much you pay her, the service should be top quality! I can do ten times better... for free!” The spot finally lifted and Jane sat back on his heels, panting in satisfaction. “That stain has been there for a month, you know. That's fourtimes she has been here and missed it!I take five minutes of my time and it's gone. She was lazy! Besides, I don't have a job yet, I should at least be doing something useful. Because I don't think she's coming back.”

“I  can't evensee the bloody stain,you…”

The cockiness with which Jane declared he could clean so much better— combined with the fact she had rather liked that maid— made Mrs. DeGroot want to smack Jane upside the head , but she thought better of it. She knew she had woundedTavish when shehad denounced Jane, and shedidn’t want to antagonize the situation any further. 

“Fine. As long as you’re doin gsomethinguseful.”

“Just because you can't see the germs, doesn't mean they  aren'tthere,"Jane scoffed. “I'd think you of all people would appreciate hard work, seeing how you never stop talking about it.”

Her frown deepened. “Droppin gall the courtesies now, are we? Should have knownall the ‘yes ma’ams’ and ‘no ma’ams’ were an act. Tavish hasn'tset any ground rules if you think you can start takinga tone with me!”

Jane gritted his teeth,  and threwthe scrub brush intothe bucket of soapy water, rising to his feet. “I didrespect you, you're Tavish's mother! I thought you must be wonderful, if the two of you share the same blood!” Jane yelled, pointing one of his fingers in her direction.. “I knew I couldn't just walk in here and make myself at home,no matter what Tavish said. I was willing to wait and let us take time to get along, but you hurt him!” His voice wavered. “Haven'tyou noticed how miserable he's been these last few weeks? Don't you care? You’re going to need to learn to live with it lady, because like it or not, you’re stuck with me.

“Am I? You really think all this is  goingtowork out, Doe?” Shepressed. “I knowhe’s upset, and I care about him more than you know. I didn'tsay all those things out of spite, I do it because I knowhow this ends. You’re a pleasant boy, Jane, but that isn'tgoingtosave you two from the world out there. And trust me, it’s a lot meaner than I.”

“The world out there?” Jane scoffed, pushing himself up off the floor. “The world out there is so much easier than the world of RED and BLU! Do you know what they did to us?” Jane’s hands balled into fists. “But.. then we figured out what happened, we were friends again,  and we fell in love, but seeing each other always posed a risk. This... being here, it's wonderful. There's no cameras, no administration to try to assassinate us.We know we can't runaround in public holding hands, but just having this home where we can just be together with no secrets, it's the best goddamnthing I've ever had.” Jane grabbed the handle of the bucket, deciding he was both done with his task and with her..“Don't think your son is naive, Mrs. DeGroot, he's far from it.”

She turned her head, lips moving wordlessly for a few seconds. But the silence couldn’t heng between them forever, and a stiff, “I’m sorry,” escaped her. She never apologized, not since she had managed to rise from her meagre beginnings and make a name for herself as a demowoman. She had always believed that once you had earned respect, you never had to bow your head to anyone. But she had made a mistake. “I didn't know.”

Jane deflated,  his shoulders surrendering to a slouch.

“I'm not the one you need to apologies to ,” hesaid. “I promise you,everything you're worried about we've already discussed.I know I came into your life without warning, I know we should have met sooner, but Tavish and Ihave been together for years.We've already had the tough conversations.”

He sighed. There was no graceful way to exit the conversation.  Thankfully, Mrs. DeGroot saved him the trouble. She turned and left, with only a clipped, “I see.”

* * *

Tavish  noticed the change in the house as soon as he got home, but didn’t know what to make of it. Jane greeted him at the door as always, but Mumdidn’t make herself scarce as usual.

Mrs. DeGroot didn’t pretend everything was harmonious, she had learned her lesson in that. But it wasn’t walking on eggshells either; she and Jane had reached an understanding, and she allowed Jane and Tavish to be happy.

Things finally  settledback into normalcy two weeks later.

Jane was gone for the night, still  hunting fora job. Mum sat in the living room, embroidery at her fingertips but making no progress.

“Goodnight, Mum,” Tavish said stiffly as he passed towards the stairs. He was at least cordial now, something she had earned in her careful tolerance.

“Tavish. Wait a moment.” He stopped as she set down her embroidery. “Tavish… Tavish. I love you. I never meant totell you otherwise. I’ve been… Jane told me about the War. I didn’t realize what your job had actually brought you in to.”

Tavish didn’t know what to say. What could Jane have told her about the War she didn’t already know?

“You both could have died,” she said.

Ah.

“All this time I’ve been dishonest,” she continued. “I was hopin git was a phase or rebellion, all the while telling you it didn'tbother me. But it does.”

She frowned, and took a second to correct herself. “It did. But you two… you’ve been through so much. I  couldn'ttell how realit was until I watched you, but what you have is genuine. I can'tsay that I… I’m a traditional woman, Tavish. Things were different back in my day. But I’m notgoingtolet that ruin your life anymore.I want you two tobe happy.”

Tears  prickedthe corner of Tavish’s eye. He had no idea Jane had changed her mind so much- he hadn't thought it was possible to change her mind at all. He made a sound that was meant to be “how?”

Carefully, Mum  raised her handto cup hisface.

“You have myblessing.And I mean it this time.”

Tavish sobbed, and pulled his mother into a hug. It was strange, with her being so much smaller, but he managed to squeeze her against his chest anyway. She ran her hand over his face, still pressed there from before. He thought of all the times he had come to her with tears in his eyes, gashed shins and gravel picked palms, how she had wiped away those tears and mended those  aches. He remembered the tears when he only had one eye left, how she had promised him it was going to be all right. That he was still a normal boy. Her hand was wet now, salt-stained, and telling her what her eyes could not.

“I’m so sorry, Tavish.”

He held her tighter.

When Jane returnedhome later that night, he was greeted by the sound of piano music, which he hadn't heard before. Nightswere usually quiet, only occasionally interrupted by the low murmur of the television. This was something entirely new.

Jane hung his keys on the hook by the door, and wandered deeper into the mansion. He tried to remember in which room Tavish had a record player, and figured if he had one, it would probably be in the music room.

Jane pushed the door open, and froze in place. It definitely was not a recording. Tavish was sitting at the antique grand piano, fingers dancing along the keys as he played the  soft pulling chords to a waltz without dancers. Jane stoodin the doorway, entranced.

A few minutes passed, but eventually the song ended, leaving Jane with an ache he couldn ’t quite explain.Tavish removed his hands from the keys, taking a break to stretch.

“I didn't know you could play the piano ,” Jane said from the doorway, finally announcing himself.

“Aye. I can. Haven’t in a while though, just… didn't havethe passion for it.”

There was no denying things had been tense since the end of the gravel war, and Tavish had never been able to play when stressed. Anxiety froze his fingers and shook his hands; the music couldn’t pour from him when his chest felt like it was caving in itself. It had taken a long time after the War when a gently melancholy replaced his fretfulness.

Tavish scooted aside, and motioned Jane to sit next to him. There was just enough room for the two of them.

“It's  strangeto think I'm still learning things about you after all these years,” Jane mused, fingers brushing over some of the keys as he talked, but not pressing down. “What made you want to play again?”

Tavish watched Jane’s fingers idly, a smile playing across his lips.

“Mum’s given us her blessing. For real this time. She’s not fully on board, but things are going tobe better.”He looked Jane in the eyes, smiling as muchas his tired face would let him. “I can’t believe you convinced her.”

“Hrm. Glad she actually listened. Although I did more yelling than convincing.”He sighed, removing his hand from the keys. “I'm glad she talked to you, though.I couldn't stand seeing you so upset.”

“I guess I’m going t oneed a lot of patience, but you were right. I think she'll come around eventually.” Tavish sighed, resting his head on Jane’s shoulder. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“I am amazing,” Jane said, grin spreading across his face .

Tavish snorted at the line, and they both ended up laughing. Jane leaned over, so his head knocked against Tavish's resting on his shoulder , andslid an arm around his waist, squeezing him gently. Although the day's job hunt had been a bust, it seemed the evening was turning things around.

They stayed like that, and despite the slow breathing and drooping eyelids, they weren’t quite ready to go to bed just yet.

“One more song,” Tavish said, and Jane grunted an agreement , which turnedinto a grunt of surprise as Tavish lifted Jane’s hand and placed it on the far end of the keys. “Play these two notes,” he said.

“What? Like this?” Jane pressed the keys, first one, then the other. He looked at Tavish for approval, the ringing notes echoing around the room.

“Aye, that’s it.”

Once Jane had gotten the hang of the notes, Tavish put his own hands back to the piano. He began a slower melody, one that was easy and hopeful, tying him to the man beside him through their duet. More than once Tavish had looked over only to find Jane already staring at him, which would make Jane falter and mess up his notes for a few seconds. 

As Tavish’s last notes rang through the music room, Jane took his cue and stopped playing. Tavish found his hand on the keys, and put his own over it. “What do you say we turn in for the night?”

They retired to their room hand-in-hand, and slept soundly for the first time in a month.

The next few weeks flew by fast. Everyone in the house was a lot happier now that Tavish and his mum were on the same page.  Mrs DeGroothad gone back to teasing Jane, but it lacked the maliceit had hadbefore. Even though Tavish was no longer uncomfortable in his own home, he still had to go to work, leaving Jane to fend for himself. He'd exhausted almost every job in town, and the two interviews hehadmanaged to get, both for part-time janitorial work, he royallyscrewed up.

It was frustrating, and didn't help with that nagging feeling he wasn't pulling his weight. Since the maid had quit, Jane had taken over all the cleaning duties, and although it was more than necessary, it gave him something to do.

Mrs. DeGroot usually withheld her comments on Jane’s eating habits,  asshe tended to make her own food. But when she walked into the kitchen to smell him making salami-mayo-mustard sandwiches for the fourth day in a row, she felt it was her moral duty to say something.

“Good lord.”

Jane stopped what he was doing, questioning her  internally.

Stepping over to wash her hands, she asked, “how many  of thosehave you made so far?”

Jane paused. “ Just one. Do you want me to make you one too?” His question was so painfullygenuine, completely unaware of how pitiful his lunch really was.

“No Jane, just wrap it up for later. We’re goin gtomake you somethingbetter.”

She went to the fridge and found the butter and animal fat stuffed in the back.

“Get the flour and salt, they’re in the side pantry over there,” she told him as she found some  uncookedsteak from Friday night.

“Alright .” Jane wasn't sure why she was doing this, but thought better than to argue. He wrapped the sandwich in foil and shoved it in the fridge. She barked more orders at him, and hescurried around the kitchen, collecting ingredients until they were piledon the counter. The food was mismatchedto Jane, and he couldn't figure out what kind of meal it would make. 

Jane helped her mix the dough together, and she showed  himexactly what proportions to make the filling. A bit of onion and suet, and the hot beef was sizzling away at the stovetop. The meaty filling was cutbit by bit into the little triangles, then folded and crimped under her careful hands. She then pokedholes in their creations to let them vent.

“We do two holes, you see? We've added onions, so it gets two. If they were plain, we’d just poke the one hole.”

He nodded, listening  carefully.

When the pastries were finished, she let Jane take them out of the oven, filling the large kitchen with their aroma.

“There you go, lad,” she said over the meal. “Now you know how tae make Bridie.”

“Huh.” Jane stared at the food he'd had a hand in creating. “Are they good?”

He reached out to touch one,  and winced when it burned him. “How much longer until we can eat them? I'm starving.”

Tilly shook her head as Jane sucked his burned finger. “Five minutes.  Don'teven think about going for that sandwich, laddie. You’ll spoil your lunch.”

Jane managed to be patient, and within ten minutes they sat across from each other each with a couple of the bridies in front of them.

As Jane took a bite, she said, “so, you asked if they were good. That answer your question?”

“ Yeah,” Jane saidthrough a mouthful of food. 

He finished the first one in only a few seconds, and was soon busy chomping on the next. It was different  fromanything he had eaten before- even when Tavish cooked, itwas usually familiar. The thought of the food being un-American crossed his mind, but it tasted too good for him to care.

“Thanks for making this. Even though, I'm used to eating the same stuff every day, I guessvariety cannice.”

“Variety _is_ nice,” she told him sternly. “It’s about time you learned how to make things that don’t involve lunch meat or eggs. Or sometimes it’s both with you.”

Jane hummed, pondering over this new information.

“Can you show me more things?” He asked, looking up from his already cleared plate. “Like some sort of dinner?  I can cook excellent microwave meals, and I think it's about time I bring my expertise to the stove.” ” He scratched his neck when Tilly made a face at him. “I know I'm still not pulling my weight around here, but if I learn to cook some things, maybe that might help.”

Against type, she said, “you’re pullin gyour weight fine Jane. Don’tworry so much about it. Although, that’s not tosay I won’t kick myson’s behind if I start tothink he’s slacking.”

Jane laughed, and watched her polish off the last of her bridies. 

“Alright Jane,” she concluded. “I’ll teach you some recipes. I might even have some cookbooks from back when I could still read  them, andyou could do a little of your own research.”

Jane nodded. I t had been much too long since he'd had a proper project to work on. “Don't worry, I will train hard and make you proud!” Jane's hand rose in an automatic salute. “Where are the books? I can go findthem and get started right away!”

They pulled the books out of one of the storage rooms after an  hour of searching, and Jane crackedone open immediately. It wascoated with dustand the spine creaked with every movement, but they were good enough for her.

As much as Jane wanted to get started right away, Mrs. DeGroot had to remind him they actually had to make the food in order to practice , and if they started making everything on one day, theywould never be able to finish it all.

“ Don’tfret, lad, we have plenty oftime. Between me andthe books, we can try a new recipe every day. And after that, you can make the ones you feel mostconfident with.”

Jane flipped through one of the books, overwhelmed by the amount of words he didn't recognize. _Blanch, julienne, dredge_ , and many others that were completely foreign to him, but  he wouldn’t let mere words standin his way.

“ What kind of food does Tavish like?” Jane asked, looking up from the book. “I know what he likesat diners, but what sort of fancy Scottish food?”

“Boy loves his skirlie.” She thought fondly of all the times he had begged her for it as a boy, so tired of plain porridge. “That’s more for breakfast, though. If you want to impress him, we’d need some fancier ingredients. What do you say tomakingthe Scottish dish ofkings?”

“ Now thatsounds interesting!” Jane said, convinced as soon as he heard “king”. “How do we make it?” Jane slammed the book shut and scooted to the edge of his chair, leaning in to listen.

“Well first, we’re goin gintotown. There, we’ll get our rarer ingredients, but you havetopromise to withhold your judgment while I’m tellingyou what we’re buying. And while we’re cooking. And when you smell it. Basically, it isn’t going tocome together until you get the first forkful in your mouth, aye?”

“ That sounds suspicious, but I trust you. It's a deal!”

The ygot in Jane's car and headed into town, much like the last time they had gone out together all those weeks ago. It didn't take long for Jane to find the first grocery store, much to his own surprise. Jane grabbed a cart and Mrs DeGrootlaidher hand on it, following wherever Jane lead.

“So,” he asked, “what's first?”

Best not to dodge the issue. “Sheep’s pluck. For the layman: heart, liver, lungs, and stomach.” With a turn of the cart, she directed them towards the deli.

Wondering why the Scots insisted on weird, pathetic animals like sheep instead of one-hundred percent american beef, Jane shrugged and let out an, “alright,” before helping turn the cart towards the deli. He relayed Tilly's order to the butcher, who nodded, quickly packaging up the organs in brown paper and handing them to Jane.

“Ok, What's next?”

With rutabagas, potatoes, more onions to replace the one’s they’d already used, and some groceries since they might as well, they completed their shopping trip in short order. Jane was true to his word.

They were quick to unpack everything; although Tavish wouldn’t be home for a while,  Jane was eager to get started.

Jane was absorbed in a page about properly cutting a chicken into parts when he heard Tavish's car pull into the driveway. Even without the rich aroma flooding the entryway, Tavish would have known something was different by lack of  Jane greeting him, and his pupils dilated as recognition washed over him. He followed his nose the kitchen, where Mum and Jane looked liketwo cats who ate the cream.

“Is that haggis?” he demanded.

He needn’t have asked . The smell was unmistakable, and the nostalgia associated with the dish so strong he felt the need to sit down.

“What’s the occasion?”  He asked his mother. He couldn’t think of any reason to make haggis besides something big. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Tav,” she sighed. “And it wasn ’tmy idea, it was Jane’s. He wanted to do somethingspecial for you.”

Jane  grinned. “I wanted to make you something you like, so I asked your mother. Is that ok? It... smells alright, doesn't it?” Jane couldn't help but worry that this might have been a trick. “It'll be ready soon I think.”

Jane’s idea of adventurous cuisine was eating soup with broccoli in it; he had never taken an interest in anything Scottish before. And yet, Tavish realized, he had gone through the long and arduous process of making haggis because he wanted make Tavish happy. “Janey, it smells wonderful. I can’t believe you did this for me.”

Jane grinned, overwhelmed by Tavish's happiness. “We also made bre... bridie, for lunch. It was really good. I don't know what I ’m going to do with all that salami I bought though.” Jane scratched his chin, looking forlornly at the fridge. “ I've already started studying, your mother is going to be my teacher, and before you know it you will never have to cook again!”

“Ha!” Tavish turned to his mother. “At this rate, you’ll never be able  toaccuse him ofbeinga slacker again!”

“I wasn ’t goingto,” she said plainly.

The haggis was soon done, and they dressed it with the potatoes and rutabagas (or “neeps and tatties” as Tavish fondly called them.) Tavish poured them all some scotch (haggis wasn’t haggis without scotch) and they tucked in.

“How do you like it, Jane?” he remembered to ask after a few minutes of indulgence.

“It' s really good,” he admitted, poking the food with his fork. A large portion of it had already been eaten. “It shouldn’t be. Everything that went into it was awful.It's like witchcraft or something.” Jane shrugged. “It isn’t a rack of BBQ ribs, but it will do.”

Tavish looked over at Mum to see she was hiding her pleased smile too.

After dinner, Tavish polished off the bottle of scotch and helped them clean up , and they sat in the living room for a while. Mum listenedto the news, and Jane and Tavish pretended to watch it. Mum was terribly civic minded, though far more interested in the politics back home than American ones. Eventually, she was fed up with what the reporter was saying and wished them both a goodnight.

Tavish watched her ascend to her room. “So. You two have been gettin galong well I see.”

“Yeah, I guess we have,” Jane  grinned.

He scooted closer to Tavish, tucking his feet up onto the couch and laying against Tavish's side. “It  wasgood to something other thanclean, or work out, or wait for you all day. And Idon't want to put words in your mother’smouth but I think she enjoyedit too. She was smiling a lot today.”

“I think you’re right,” Tavish agreed. “You’ve been doing a lot o fthat lately, being right.”

Tavish pulled himself entirely onto the couch as well, flipping through the channels to see if there was  anything ofinterest. Eventually he gave up, and sunk into back into the red cushions.

“How are things going with that, by the way?” He said,  tryingto keep his voice casual. “I know you’re doing all this housework tokeep yourself busy, but I also knew BLU helped you work out a lot of stuff that you can’t get rid ofthrough sweeping.”

“I'm fine ,” Jane said flatly.

After leaving BLU, it became a question of what he would do without an outlet. The first few weeks had been fine-he was so excited that he had no time to think-but all this time spent beingrejected from jobs and hanging around the house had caused tension to build within him.

“ The worst thing that has happened was when the maid quit, butI didn’t hurt anyone.” Though true, there was still no knowing how things might progress in the future. “If it starts getting worse I'll just double my workouts... you can't be angry when you're tired, right?”

“If you think it’s going well for now, I believe  you.I haven’t noticed anything tobe worried about, which is why I’m asking.” He kissed Jane on the side of the head to reassure him. “But if anything changes, you let me know, aye? We can figure something out together, and nothing has toget out of hand.”

Jane hummed, but Tavish could tell he was still troubled. It wasn’t an immediate issue though, so he let them curl up against each other for the remainder of the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Each day seemed to get better for them. Tavish hoped it would last.

As spring turned to summer, so did summer into fall, and things stayed well and good in the DeGroot mansion. Tavish continued his job in the city, working full time and doing his mother proud. Jane's job search never got any better, and eventually Tavish told him to take a break.

Instead of getting a job , Janecontinued his cooking lessons with Mrs DeGroot. The first time she let him try to cook on his own he managed to set the kitchen on fire. Luckily, said fire was minor and Jane was able to put it out, but there was now a permanent smoke-stain on the side of the oak cabinets. 

The second time he cooked on his own he burnt all the food to a crisp, and singed off all of his arm hair. The third time, somehow, nothing got cooked at all. Finally, after months of trying, Jane was able to cook a decent meal by himself. Sure the meat was overdone and under-seasoned, but it was edible, and the kitchen and Jane's body managed to stay intact. When that happened Tilly congratulated him, and Jane was  more proud of himself than he had been in a long time. She told him he had 'graduated' from the beginner's course, and was ready to move on to making 'real' food, as she called it. He definitely still had much to learn.

Outside of cooking the two still spent a lot of time together. Jane drove her into town during the day for errands, and  soon learnedhis way around. They continued hitting up flea-markets and scrap yards for old electronics, using their good-cop bad-cop routine to get good deals.

It was nearing the end of October now, and the small family of Tilly, Tavish, and Jane all sat in the living room as they often did after dinner. The television show had broken for a commercial, advertising some sort of Halloween haunt party at a local park.

“Oh yeah, Halloween is next week,” Jane mused. He loved that holiday. Even though strange things happened around Halloween back at BLU, the few times he had been off work at that time were a lot of fun. “Hey Tavish, how many kids do you get coming around here? We need to figure out how much candy to buy. Uncle Sam will be mad if we don't have enough for every American child that comes to our door.”

Tavish shot his mother a nervous look. She, of course, did not look back, but shook her head at her embroidery.

“Er…” Tavish began. “I hate  tobreak it to you Jane, but we live out in the middle of nowhere. We’ve never had any kids come up as long as we’ve lived here.”

“What?” Jane  frowned. “But I thought that onceI moved out of my apartment and into a house, I'd get to give out candy.I tried doing it in an alley once but someone called the police.”

Tavish’s first thought  had beenthat they could circumnavigate the problem by going to where there were kids, but Jane had point about that being a little weird. Tavish patted Jane on the shoulder.“It’s alright,Jane. Wecan still do stuff for Halloween. There’s a big block party in the city this year, we can go and you’ll still get to dress up!” Despite Tavish’s enthusiasm, Jane only crossed his armsand sunk further into the couch.

Tavish sighed. So it wasn’t about missing out on Halloween in general then; Jane just really wanted to do trick-or-treating. If Tavish went with him, he knew he could keep Jane from getting arrested, but that still didn’t solve the problem of having a house to hand from.  Ifonly thereweresuch thing as reverse trick-or-treating…

Tavish blinked. Wait a minute, there _was_ such a thing!

“Are you sure you  don'twant togo to that party, Jane? Because it happens tobe right beside the children’s hospital. And there’s always things going there: events, fundraisers, and trick-or-treating for the kids who can’t get out of bed.”

“Really?” Jane asked, perking up. “Would they let me help?”

“O fcourse.” Tavish was already making plans. Unlike Jane, he didn’t have a Halloween costume yet. “We can volunteer there, and then they give us a bunch ofcandy to walk from room toroom with. I don'tthink we need to sign up ahead of timeor anything, woman at work keeps telling me they’re always strapped for volunteers.”

“I better nothave heard what I thinkI heard, Tavish Finnegan DeGroot,” Mum snapped, surprising them both. “Volunteer? Are you crazy? Using your hard-earned skills forsomethingyou’re noteven gettingpaid for?”

Tavish frowned at his mother. “We’re just helping some kids have a good holiday, Mum. I’m  notblowing things up for free.”

“We have to do it!” Jane said sternly, “It's our American duty to give children free candy on Halloween! Just like when you give free money to Uncle Sam for taxes.”

“Aye, what he said.” Now that Tavish was invested in the idea, there was no way he was letting his mother deter him.

Mum and Tavish went back and forth for a few minutes, a nd Tavish only convincedhis mother it was a good idea when he pointed out he wasn’t working on Halloween anyway. She relented, and Jane and Tavish were allowed to prepare for the big day.

* * *

“What do you think o fthis?” Tavish asked as Jane prepareshis own cardboard robot costume. “Think I can pull this offfor the fifth year in a row?” He held up the werewolf mask he had found in storage.

“I don't see why not, but I also don't see why you want to wear that cheap piece of plastic when you can skillfully craft your own costume instead.” Jane jabbed a metal coat hanger  throughthe top of the box in his lap, wiggling it slightly until the positioning was just right. “See? Made in America. Who knows where yours came from.”

Tavish eyed the homemade costume skeptically. “I think I’ll take the risk.”

Picking up a spare roll of aluminum foil, he began to help Jane  withthe robot. Tavish didn’t care much about his own costume; he just wanted Jane to have a good time. And maybe makes some kid’s night, too.

Jane thanked Tavish for the help with his costume, but ended up redoing most of Tavish's parts anyway because they weren't quite up to his standards.

“Beep boop beep. Robot noises,” Jane said, trying on his costume to make sure everything fit. The cardboard box rattled around his head much like his old helmet, and he had to peer out of the mouth-hole as he walked. A copious about of tape was wrapped around his shoe-boxes so they didn't fall apart as he walked. “What do you think? Good?”

“Fantastic. You’re the most handsome robot in the world.” Tavish gave Jane a kiss through the mask’s mouth-hole, but it ended up being more between his eyes than his lips. Tavish chucked as Jane yelped in surprise.

Jane lifted the box off his head to kiss Tavish properly, humming as he did so. “Well, I'm sure you will manage to be a decentlyhandsome werewolf, despite the poor choice in costume.” He eyed where it sat in the box wearily. “Maybe it'll go missing by next year and you will have to make a new one...”

“If that were  tohappen, I don'tthink I’d mourn for too long.”

When it came time to depart, Mum waved to them from the front door.

“Remember notto dance with anyone with pointed ears, they’ll never let you stop. And if you find yourself in a strange place dunnae eat the food, you’ll never be able toleave. And for the love of Christ, don'tget arrested!”

They arrived at the hospital early, going inside and walking up to the front desk.

“Hello Miss!” Jane called to the woman sitting behind the desk, louder than necessary. “We are here for volunteering.”

The woman smiled .“That's great to hear, we could always use more. Just walk down the hallway and take a right, the volunteers are meeting in the last room.”

Jane grabbed Tavish's hand and tugged him down the hall. Tavish allowed him, knowing the hand holding was out of excitement and shouldn't turn too many heads. When they arrived in the room there were about a dozen other people inside, most congregated around a table with an assortment of bottled juices.

“Hello! Are you here to volunteer?” A woman with chin-length brown hair  asked.

“Yes! I'm Jane, and this is Tavish.” He gestured to Tavish, who gave a little wave. “Ready to serve, Miss!”

She laughed, covering her mouth with the clipboard she carried until the giggles subsided. “Nice to meet you, I'm Betsy. I'm in charge of our trick-or-treating activities this year. Just put on a name tag and grab some juice, I'll be going over the schedule for tonight in just a few minutes.”

Tavish and Jane took the volunteer name tags from her, scribbling their names down in sharpie and sticking them on their chests. For ten more minutes they mingled with the other volunteers. When the last few volunteers arrived, Betsy, the volunteer coordinator, stood at the front of the room.

“Ok everyone! I just wanted  to thankyou all for coming today. We have a lot of kids that got dressed up this year and are excited for the festivities, but here are some important things we must go over first.” Betsy explained how things were going to work. Each person got a checklist with the room numbers of all the children they were to visit, and they were colour coded based on different needs.

Some children got regular candy, others had special diets and needed either sugar free candy or a small toy instead. They were given bags of these, and told to give them to the children when they said trick-or-treat.

Tavish let Jane drag him to the top floor of the hospital since most of the volunteers were starting on the bottom. Walking up to the first open door, Tavish noted it was purple, meaning the kid got a handful from the regular bin.

With a knock, the two of them greeted their first customer with a synchronized “trick-or-treat!”

She was a little thing, couldn’t be more than eight, and was dressed in the beginnings of a princess costume. A pink hennin sat  atopher head, her only clothing besides her paper hospital gown. Her free hand held a pink wand that matched her pink face paint.

What made Tavish’s stomach lurch was that the paint only stretched to the left side of her face, her right encased in a brutal mess of scars. The eye was covered by an eyepatch, white and clinical against her tanned face, and her right arm was in a cast.

She tilted her head up at the two costumed adults. “You’ve got candy, right?”

Tavish  looked atJane, whose slouched shoulders now mirrored Tavish’s. Of course the kids here were going to be sick and injured; this was a hospital, not a school. But in their excitement to help, Jane and Tavish had forgotten that.

Tavish bent down on one knee, and pulled a few Razzers and Bottlecaps from his pocket. “Aye, we do. You got a bag for this?”

She nodded, and grabbed a bag she had been stowing behind the door. It was difficult for her to pick up, considering she refused to put down her magic wand, but she managed. Once opened, Tavish dropped the candies in it, and she closed it up happily.

“I like your costumes,” she told them, and Jane _beep booped_ his thanks. “Did you get into a crash too?”

She  pointedat Tavish’s eyepatch, and his shoulders slumped in sympathy. “No, I didn’t. My eye was stolen from me by a wizard.”

The little princess nodded sagely. “Wizards are dangerous on Halloween. Did he do something to your voice too?”

That was at least something Tavish could chuckle about. “No lassie, it’s an accent. I’m from Scotland, an island far away from here.”

“My mom is from an island. She’s from Cuba.” Her voice was so mellow, so somber compared to all the  carefreechildren Tavish had seen on the streets. “Are all werewolves from Scotland?”

“No, not all of us.”

She tilted her head at Jane. “What about robots?”

“I was made in America, beep boop, programmed to dispense candy, blarp.” Jane shuffled closer robotically and deposited his own candy in her bag. “Your costume is deserving of praise, dispensing high-five, put 'er there.”

The girl giggled, slapping the palm Jan held out to her. Through the mouth-hole in the costume a grin could be seen spreading across Jane's face.

They said goodbye to girl .The encounter had had a sobering effect, but theyseemed to have made her night, so it was all worth it.

The two of them made their way around the top floor. For every sorry sight, there were more good ones, kids giggling at their costumes and happy to show off their own. Jane  lovedit; the children's smiles when he gave them their candy or toys, the laughter when he spoke in his robot voice, the brightening of their eyes when he complimented their costume, it caused a wonderful warmth to flood his chest.

Check by check, they went  throughthe list, passing by volunteers moving the other direction. The kids that had already been visited were less shy and a lot more eager when they showed up, but the experience was still great. After about an hour and a half they were almost finished.

“Happy Halloween!” Tavish called as they waved goodbye to a gleeful astronaut. They walked down the stairs, Tavish’s heart light almost to the point of giddiness.

Bu t something weighed him down, too. He couldn’t put his finger on it, and considered asking Jane if he felt anything similar.

Instead, he said, “I think we have  togo back to the volunteer room now, give these bags back to Betsy.”

They handed back their leftover toys and candies to Betsy, who thanked them for coming before bustling off to take care of more clean-up. They were free to go, and Jane grabbed one more grape-juice before following Tavish to the car.

It was dark outside the hospital, so Jane took Tavish's hand in his own, swinging it as they walked to the car. “I had a lot of fun tonight .That was even better than just handing out candy at home!”

“No, thank you,  Jane. Without you, I never would have thought togo out in the first place.” They reached the car, but Tavish wasn’t ready to go in quite yet. He hungback, and ran his thumb over Jane’s hand while they stood in the cool autumn air. “I’ve been meaning toask you: do you feel, I don't know, sad? Seeing all them kiddos?” He searched Jane’s face, pointless since it was still obscured by his robot head.

“I felt bad they were in the hospital . Kids shouldn't have to deal with that kind of stuff.” Jane sighed, pulling Tavish a bit closer. “I felt good, seeing them so happy though. Is something wrong Tav? You all right?”

“I’m  notsure,” Tavish said. “I love kids, I really do. It’s sad wedon'tget to be around themout where we are.”

Tavish realized he was getting closer than he realized. It wasn’t just that there weren’t _kids_ where they lived, but the whole concept of children was unobtainable to him and Jane.  It wasn't something he had considered seriously before, just a minor inconvenience that wouldn’t stop him from choosing the man he loved.

Jane took off his robot head and took a moment to think about what Tavish said. After a moment of fidgeting, he decided to ask a question.

“Tavish, I know you love me , and Iknow you would never pick someone else. Butin a world where we never met...would you have had kids?”

“I…” Tavish  swallowed a lump of guilt. “It’s notimportant. I love this life, and it’s no use getting hung up things that could have been.”

Tavish’s need to dodge the question was developed over years of reassuring Jane. Although his boyfriend wasn’t nearly as insecure about their relationship as he had been, the habit was a hard one to break. Besides, having children was so deeply rooted in family lineage and tradition that Tavish had come to associate it exclusively as something done out of duty, not love.

“That's not what I asked. You can tell me the truth, I just want to know.” When he  receivedno response, Jane changed tactics. “Remember when I was terrified you would leave me? I just kept my mouth shut and bottled up all the feelings inside.That was bad.I got angry, and we fought-you told me I needed to start telling you how I felt, and nothing has ever gotten that bad since. It's a two-way street, you know, so you should be telling me how you feel.We can work through it together. 

Tavish knew he was right. When had Jane  becomeso fucking wise? He sighed and letJane tug him forward. “It’s hard to tell you myfeelings when I’m noteven sure what they are. I know I like kids, they’re great and all, but I don't think I could ever be a good Da. It’s all just so… complicated. I would want tohave kids, but I’m notsure I could convince myself it wasn’t just toplease Mum.”

“I understand,” Jane replied, squeezing his hands, “but don't think you would be a bad father, you're all about taking care of people.”

“Thank you, Jane,” Tavish sighed,  pullinghim into a tight hug. “I’m glad you’ve been here for me through all this.” Tavish hung his chin over Jane’s shoulder, grateful Jane had become so much more emotionally responsive in their years together. He thought to their time at the hospital, the pure adoration and excitement Jane had expressed around the kids. “For what it’s worth, I think you’d make a great dad.”

"Of course I would!" Jane grinned, slapping his chest for emphasis. "But- well, I like kids, but they're a lot of responsibility, and I have American duties to attend to." He paused. "We'll come back next year though, won't we?"

“Aye, of course.”

When they stepped into the house, Jane  removedhis collapsingcostume, and Mrs. DeGroot greeted them with a, “have fun beingpack mules for the night?”

Jane grinned, ignoring the jab. “It was wonderful . Better than I imagined! The kids were so happy to get their candy, and Tavish was greatwith them.” The love-struck look on Jane's face as he gazed at Tavish would be hard to miss. “And did you have a good time avoiding your American duty?”

“The only ‘American duty’ I have is spreadin gsalt circles around the house,” Mum proclaimed. “Which I’ve done a fine job of,consideringno one else was going todo it.”

When he came back from putting away the costumes,  Tavishinterrupted Jane and Mum’s back and forth with, “So, we all had a happy Halloween, then? Might as well break out the hard apple cider for the night, eh?”

As the excitement of the day died down, they  were bothcontent. Jane had always wanted him and Tavish to have traditions like this, tospend all the important days of the year together. They were in the beginning stages of becoming a family. An odd one sure, but a family nonetheless.

“Anything otherworldly come by this hallow’s eve?” Tavish asked his mother as he poured them all glasses. “I was hoping to test my sword against some beasties, just for a change o’ pace.”

“No such luck,” she belayed. “An old bodach came a knockin g at the door, but I didn'tlet him in.”

“Shame,” Tavish told his glass. “Still,  can'texpect every Halloween tobe like it wasat RED. We sure knew how tothrow a good time there.”

“For once, I agree with you,” Mrs. DeGroot told Jane. “Tavish, if your disembodied eye gets within one hundred yards o f this house, I’m chucking you out tofight it on your own.”

“Fine by me!” Tavish grinned.

They drank for a little while, swapping stories of Halloweens past, to his mother’s growing disgust. Exhaustion hit him much earlier than he would have liked, considering they were all having such a good time, but his mother wasn’t a young woman.  Not that he and Jane were getting any more spry either; it had just been easier to forget that back when they were surrounded by a bunch of other mercenaries.Mum slinked off up to bed, and Tavish propped his feet on the living room table.

Jane tucked his own feet up on the couch, scooting down to rest his head on Tavish's lap. He tugged the throw blanket up to  his chin, but it was too small and popped off hisfeet.

“I don't want today to be over.” Jane sighed, nuzzling his face into Tavish's thigh.

Tavish grinned at Jane’s  fading voice. “Aye, I feel you. It was a lot more fun than I thought. But it’s not over, is it? The witching hour is still at hand; you’re never safe from the creepies and crawlies until dawnrises the next day.”

Jane sighed when Tavish's finger trailed over his scalp. “ Then you'll have to be in charge of protecting the house. I'm already falling asleep.”

“Well, that’s fine. No one knows their weaknesses more than me.”


	5. Chapter 5

“…And make sure to take care of her, and yourself!” Tavish told Jane the morning Jane and Mrs DeGroot were set to head to the expo. “Who knows what old enemies can turn up at these sorts of things?”

“You're being paranoid. The last enemy I met at one of these expos was you.” Jane gave Tavish a punch to the shoulder that was returned promptly. “I'll miss you. And I'll make sure to call tomorrow, so you can make sure your mother is fine.”

With a kiss between them, the two broke apart. Jane ran back to the car, where an irritated Mrs DeGroot was already inside. He rolled down the window and waved to Tavish all the way out of the driveway.

It seemed silly to be upset, but it was the first time they would be apart for more than a few hours since moving in together. But, Jane was excited. He might not know much about the science of it, but he loved explosions as much as either of the DeGroots, and all these expos had at least a few demonstrations he was always itching to see. In the meantime, he had a long car trip in which to try to entertain an unruly passenger. Mrs DeGroot popped one of her tapes into the 8-track player.

After fifteen minutes of calm driving, she said, “You two are practically Siamese twins at this point. Hard to imagine that you ever handled being on opposite sides of a war.”

Jane shrugged. “Well, at the time there wasn't much of a choice. We loved our jobs, and we didn't know what we were missing. Being with him now though, all the time... I could never go back.” It was sad, in retrospect, that they had only been able to see each other once a month. Jane didn't know how they had managed it.

“Just remember to have some time for yourself too," she frowned. “Tavish’s father and I both had jobs, twenty-six jobs in his case, even when we first got married. Because of that, we didn't see each other very often, and most of the time I missed him terribly. But I didn't let it eat me up inside, you see? Being apart will be alright.”

“I know,” Jane said. “Looking back, it was a little fast going from barely seeing each other of all to living together. I guess we could have visited each other for a few months, but it seemed like such a long way to drive for just a weekend.” He paused, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. “I am... sorry, about barging into your life like this. I was just thinking about myself, we really should have met first. You didn't deserve a stranger coming and living in your home with only a few days notice.”

“Ach, don't be so much. If anything, it’s Tav’s fault for not introducing us sooner. But I know why he didn't. You saw what I was like in the beginning’.” Folding one hand over the other, she tilted her head so she could listen to the music better. “Thank you, for being patient. It’s not like I made your life easier, either.”

“Don't worry about that. It's not like I expected a warm welcome right from the start,” Jane said. “Everything has turned out well though, and I think we are getting along just fine.”

“That we are,” she nodded. “I don't trust just anyone to look after my stuff while we’re gone away.”

The car ride passed in silence, long enough for her to switch out another one of the tracks.

“So, you two went to these sorts of things often?” she asked absently.

Jane thought back to all the different conventions he and Tavish had gone to over the years and smiled.

“Yeah. We went pretty often- whenever a convention lined up with our furloughs we would go. We even met at one. Well, met for the first time when we weren't trying to kill each other.” Jane laughed awkwardly, looking over to check if Mrs DeGroot was making a face. She wasn’t. “Anyway, he thought I was his team's Soldier, and I just didn't even recognize him at first. Man, when we realized who we were actually hanging out with!” He closed his mouth and wrung his hands on the steering wheel.

The corners of her cheeks turned, softening her usually sour expression. “Go on, lad. Tell me how you met.”

Jane blushed, embarrassed that she could see right through him. “Well, that team loyalty runs pretty deep. We fought, then someone called the cops, neither of us wanted to get arrested so we fought the cops and managed to get away. Tavish said he owed me a drink for helping him out, but we helped each other out, so maybe it was just an excuse.... I don't know.”

Mrs. DeGroot clicked her tongue. “No wonder he never told me.” She shook her head. “Well as long as he didn't get caught, that’s all a mercenary can hope for, aye? And I have you to thank for it, it seems. You’ve done good for my boy.”

She let Jane sputter for a few seconds but didn’t retract the compliment. When she heard he was done she said, “you don't have to be so worried about talking about your relationship. You're both are still walking on eggshells around me, but it’s alright.”

“I'm sorry,” Jane apologized again, “I just don't want things to be awkward for you. And it's not like we were together right away- we were just friends at first, the best of friends. Then sometime during the war I realized I loved him. I didn't realize how much he meant to me until he was gone.” Jane bit the inside of his cheek. “When we found out it was a ruse... he told me he loved me, just like that. He looked horrified, like it has slipped out by accident.” Jane smiled at the road ahead. “But I loved him too, so it was okay.”

Mrs DeGroot nodded, softly. “Tell me about the War.”

“I... it... we were stupid,” Jane sighed. “We weren't careful, took stupid photos wherever we went. We didn't think RED or BLU paid that much attention to what we were doing off base, but we were wrong.”

Jane paused the story only to pay attention to the road, suspended as he digested his thoughts.

“So RED and BLU found out, and they decided to ruin our friendship by offering us weapons as rewards for killing each other. Neither of us was going to do it, I told stupid old hag I'd rather die, but she played this recording of Tavish and it-” Jane choked, “It had him saying something that I…. it was fake, but I was too stupid to realize it.”

He looked back over at Mrs DeGroot, who was still sitting there, quiet and respectful. Maybe she really did want to hear more about the two of them.

“It was the worst time of my life. I didn't have any other friends. I was miserable, but I was also angry, and we hurt each other a lot. There isn't much else to say about it. We both did a lot of things we regret.”

Mrs. DeGroot nodded. “I remember Tavish acting so odd during that time. Of course, I didn't know he’d been hired to kill anybody different than normal at the time, so I didn't put two and two together until later.” She was quiet for a moment. “Some mother I am. Couldn't even tell when me own son’s heart was breaking.”

“Don't say that,” Jane grumbled, shooting her a look. “Tavish cries a lot when he's drunk, but he always hides stuff when he's really hurting.” He glanced at Mrs DeGroot, “If anything, it's all my fault. I can't believe I fell for that stupid recording when I know Tavish would never say something like that.”

“…Say what, Jane?”

Jane stiffened. “I can't tell you. It's... I told Tavish something, something I've never told anyone else, and he promised not to tell anyone.” Jane bit his lip, blinking back tears. “And he didn't! But the video they showed me made it sound like he had, and he'd promised!" He shuddered. "I was so angry."

Despite appearing to lack the normal range of human empathy, Mrs DeGroot knew how to be a mother. She didn’t hesitate to place her hand on Jane’s back and rub it in circles. “Shh, it’s alright, love. It’s all alright now. You got him back, didn't you? Sure, you’ve made some mistakes, but it’s all worked out. You’ve got Tavish, and you’ve got me now, too.”

Jane choked out another laugh, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

* * *

There was a brief period of reprieve where they checked into their hotel, but then it was off to the expo immediately. Jane was befuddled by all the paperwork, but Mrs DeGroot was able to direct him as to which signatures went where and how to not get shortchanged on their booth. By two, they had set all of Mrs. DeGroot’s explosives out nicely, the picture of pure sportsmanship.

“Mostly it’s going to be enthusiasts coming by, but there might be a few shoppers as well,” she explained to Jane. “If any of them ask, I don't sell blueprints, but I’m willing to pawn off a few prototypes for people who are serious. And you’ll help me bump up those prices, won’t you, laddie?”

“Yes ma'am!” Jane saluted, happy to help, “It's interesting, being on the other side of the booth, peeking behind the curtains and red tape! Can I go see some of the demonstrations? I was checking the schedule and the first one is at 5:30.” Jane shuffled his feet.

Mrs DeGroot blew some hot air out of her nose. “Ach, fine. But I want you helping me until then, none of this running off at 5:15 nonsense.”

Jane enthusiastically agreed, and their booth soon pulled in interested gawkers. Many of them addressed their questions to Jane at first, but Mrs DeGroot was quick to set them straight.

At 5:25 Jane scooted off.

There was a field outside for the demonstrations, and Jane sat on the bleachers with a crowd of other explosives enthusiasts. Just as promised the demonstration was quite a sight, obliterating the several hay bales that had been set up in the field. Watching stuff blow up gave Jane a rush. It reminded him of all the best parts of working at BLU. But explosions end quickly, and he soon ran back into the exhibition room to help Mrs DeGroot again. God knows what Tavish would have done if he found out he'd left her alone for more than a second.

When Jane approached, Mrs DeGroot was just finishing up with a younger woman. When Jane joined her behind the booth, she turned to him and explained, “lassie couldn't believe I’d really been a demowoman all my life. Peppering me with all sorts of questions, wants to get into the business herself.” She shook her head. “Times really are a changing.”

Jane grinned.

More people flooded by their booth, as Mrs. DeGroot’s superb craftsmanship drew in all sorts of admiration. It was more her skill than anything, since the DeGroot name had almost no relevance here. She and Jane performed their act as well as ever, and when they expo center closed down for the night, they had more than covered the cost of the trip. They made their way back to the hotel, and were there for no more than three minutes before Mrs DeGroot called room service for a cup of tea.

Sipping thoughtfully out on the balcony, she asked Jane, “So, what do you think? Can we keep up that pace for another two days?”

“You bet! Running a booth at a convention is nothing compared to real mercenary work. It's a piece of cake,” Jane declared, leaning back in his chair across from Mrs DeGroot. He too had a cup of tea, not a drink he was fond of, but it was warm and pleasant.

The second day was much like the first, Mrs DeGroot letting Jane run off to various events throughout. Towards the end of the night he did manage to peel her away, but only after getting three separate promises that Jane would keep out a sharp eye while she was gone. She was slightly less stern-looking once she got back, and was content to listen to Jane explain the designs all by himself to a possible patron. He didn’t know what the hell he was talking about, but the motions were so well rehearsed no one could tell the difference.

“Yessir! This doohickey right here is one of the best explosives you can find. Aha! And there is the woman herself!” Jane finally noticed Mrs DeGroot's presence, and stood behind her chair to place his hands on her shoulders. “I was just telling this gentleman about your explosives, but you should take it away, huh?”

“Thank you Jane,” she said politely. She tilted her head up to where she assumed the customer was. “Now, after what my assistant told you, you’ve probably got your head full of ideas about what something like this can do. But I’m going to set you straight right now: what you’re looking is a realistic detonation timer.”

She went into it hard, laying down exactly what the manual detonator did in the most complex, but accurate, jargon she could manage. Jane backed her up, using his over-enthusiastic descriptions as a phony explanation. It was a slight tweak on their usual routine, but so far it had a one hundred percent success rate. The patron left, and they were sixty dollars richer.

“You’re doing mighty fine, Jane. That training paying off, aye?”

“Yes! Thank you for teaching me about the bomb stuff. There have been lots of people coming over here to look at your bombs and things while you were gone. I told them everything you told me to say.” Jane grinned, crossing his arms and leaning back farther in the chair. “how was the lecture?”

“Load of phooey. Pressurized gas better than chemical combustion my arse. Always good to know what you’re up against, though. I might make a few adjustments to my designs.”

She listed off a few things, and one thing lead to another and suddenly she was off on a tangent. Before she knew it, the day approached its end, and two of them packed up their goods.

“Care to go out for dinner, lad?” She asked once it was safely tucked away in their room. “I’m tired of hotel food.”

“Sounds good,” Jane replied. “All they serve here is sissy food. I could go for a steak."

Once they were seated at a booth in the dimly lit restaurant, as per the hotel recommendation, Jane buried his nose in the menu. “Steak… steak...” He mumbled to himself, mulling over his choice of sides. “Mashed potatoes, or pasta with butter?” Jane asked, peering over the menu at Mrs DeGroot.

“Tch.” She shook her head. “Maybe this was a bad idea. All that learning how to cook and now this American food will make your tastebuds recede.”

“All the food I cook is American food, because it's being cooked by an American! Besides, there is nothing wrong with good old meat and potatoes. Speaking of which, I guess I could go for potatoes...” Jane trailed off, dropping the menu he was holding to pick up the drink menu instead. He ended up distracted by the large variety of beers on tap.

“What do they have for chicken?” she asked, sipping her water. She didn’t bother to ask about the drinks; she always ordered whisky whenever she went out.

"Let's see.” Jane picked up the menu again. “There is a half herb roasted chicken dinner, and a chicken breast with mushroom sauce. There is also a pasta with chicken in it.” Jane shrugged even though she couldn't see it. “The steak looks better though.”

“I’m seventy-three, Jane. Order me the herb roasted chicken.”

The waiter eventually brought them their drinks, and Jane enthusiastically told her about his time alone at the booth. In a short while she was telling stories about her first time selling explosives, and Jane talked more about his mercenary work.

“Something wrong?” Jane asked, noticing the worried expression that crossed Mrs DeGroot’s face.

“Ach, I feel like I’m forgetting something, but I don’t know what,” she said dismissively. “Eat your steak.”

Jane shrugged, and they went back to their meal. The expression persisted all the way back to the hotel, where Mrs. DeGroot immediately curled up in the room’s armchair. Just as she was sitting down with another cup of room service tea, the room phone began to chime loudly.

“I'll get it,” Jane yawned, pulling himself from where he lay sprawled across the bed. He walked up to where the phone sat on the desk, wondering who could be calling the room at this time of night.

“Hello?” he asked after picking up the phone.

“Jane!” Tavish’s voice called across the line immediately. “Where were you? What happened?”

“Tavish? Shit.” Jane had totally forgotten he had promised to call. “I'm sorry! Nothing happened, everything is fine. I just forgot to call." Knowing Tavish, he'd probably been sitting by the phone all day, thinking they had somehow died.

“You forgot to-” Tavish processed the information. “Right, of course. I’m sorry, I was just…”

“I'm sorry Tavish, I've been having such a good time it slipped my mind. Your mum's got me looking after the booth by myself sometimes, I'm learning all about your bomb making stuff.” Jane bragged. “She's here if you want to talk to her, and I promise she's in one piece.”

“Aye… aye… that’d be good, I’d love to talk with her.” Tavish still sounded pretty anguished, as though he were mentally berating himself.

“Alright, I'll get her.” As Jane stretched the phone cord to reach Mrs DeGroot, he felt her figuratively rolling her eyes. “It's Tavish, he wants to talk to you.”

“Of course he does,” she said, putting the receiver up to her ear. “Aye, Tavish, what is it?”

“Well excuse me for wanting to talk to my own Mum,” he huffed.

“Don't pretend this was for a friendly chat, laddie. You’ve been worrying again, haven't you?”

The silence on the other line was all the response she needed. She tilted her head toward Jane. “Would you mind giving us a moment alone, love?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jane frowned, and headed into the bathroom to start a shower.

Once Jane was gone, Mrs.DeGroot said sternly into the phone, “You can't keep this up Tavish. It’s not good for you.”

“Look,” Tavish justified, “you said you’d call tonight, and you didn’t. What was I supposed to think? Any number of things could’ve happened to you on the way up there.”

“Tavish, you were locked in a possessed undeath machine for four years, and I never once said a word. Do you really need to tell me about alarming situations?”

Tavish backed off again, sighing on the other side of the line. “I know. I just can’t help it, alright?”

“If you’re worried about me Tavish, I’ll have you know that I’ve been in more life or death situations than you and Jane combined. If I had a nickel-”

“It’s not just you!” Tavish blurted, shocking his mother into silence. “It’s both of you. I know you don’t really consider Jane part of the family, but I do. And it’s awful thinking that if something happens to you two while I’m not around… there’s just so much more on the line now.”

She softened her voice. “I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Jane on the way up here: being apart is a part of life. An ugly and unfair part, but a part all the same. I know it’s hard not to think about it, but this will pass Tavish. It always does.”

There was silence on the other side.

“Thanks, Mum.”

“Any time, love.”

“Can I talk to Jane again? I think he wanted to tell me about his day.”

“Of course. I’m sure he’ll be out any minute.”

When Jane returned from his shower, he was surprised Mrs DeGroot handed him the phone almost immediately. He had expected them to be shouting at each other for the rest of the night. And when he heard Tavish's voice, it was much calmer than it had been earlier. He wondered what they'd talked about while he'd been gone.

Tavish asked him how the convention was going, and Jane was happy to oblige. He talked about the demonstrations he saw, how crowded the convention center was, and how he helped Mrs DeGroot sell her merchandise at the highest price with pride. Mrs DeGroot's praise and respect over the past two days had given him quite the ego boost.

“And how about you?” Jane finally asked, “bored out of your mind without me?”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Tavish chuckled. “Things are always a lot more interesting when you’re around.”

Frankly, Tavish didn’t have much to talk about. He lamented that maybe he should go out pubbing, something he hadn’t done since he was single. Jane talked more about the expo, and his hopes for tomorrow.

Tavish couldn’t help the swell of sentimentality overwhelm him. “I’m proud of you, you know that? I really am. I… I’m sorry I overreacted before. It’s good you’re gettin’ time to make some new experiences.”

“No, I should have called, I said I would.” Jane smiled. “You probably enjoy having your bed to yourself again huh? I slept terribly last night. We'll have to go to the next convention together.”

“Definitely.”

It had been so long, Tavish wondered if they were just as fun as he remembered. From the way Jane described it, it certainly was.

“As for the bed, it’s not so bad having a quiet mansion just for me,” he joked. “I do miss you, but Mum helped me see some things more clearly. I’ll be fine. So long as you come back all right, got it?”

“As long as I come back? Where do you think I'm going?” Jane laughed. “It's time for bed, though. Sorry again that I forgot to call. See you Sunday night!"

Jane and Tavish said their goodbyes and then hung up. Mrs. DeGroot had long ago finished her tea and had been half-listening to their conversation.

She let out a sigh. “He’s become so paranoid as he’s gotten older. His Da was like that too, in his midyears. Maybe it’s another DeGroot curse.”

“Paranoia is a weird thing to be cursed with,” Jane replied, “Isn't it usually things like oozing boils or ugly children?” He cocked his head to the side. “Is Tavish much like his dad? I can definitely see what you two have in common.” He decided not to illustrate the specific reasons why.

“Aye, he is more like me than Rabbie.” She thought about it for a bit. “Though he can be a bit melancholy at times, especially when he drinks. Rabbie was never showboating or boasting or out to have a tussle. He just wanted to work, to make his family happy, and to keep water out of his boots. But Tavish will get real thoughtful sometimes, and it’s so like his Da it hurts.”

“I'm sorry,” Jane grimaced. “I really love that about him, though. He's always looking out for everybody. He just tries to hide it, so he doesn't seem soft.” Jane smiled, but Mrs DeGroot still looked quite forlorn. “Tell me more about him, Tavish's dad. Tavish never told me anything about him.”

Her frown didn’t subside, but the tension in her shoulders eased a bit. “Well, that doesn't surprise me. I’m always the one to bring him up, it’s still a painful memory for Tavish after all these years. Rabbie died in a carriage accident coming home one day. Tavish didn't believe it. He kept telling me there had to have been some sort of mistake, that it was somebody else the bobbies were talking about. I don't think he really accepted it until the day of the funeral. Rabbie didn't even get to be buried with his ancestors at first, back on the Keep’s mausoleum. His mum wouldn't allow it.”

Jane frowned, listening quietly. “Why didn't she allow it? Isn't that type of stuff important to you DeGroots?”

She tilted her head in surprise. Sometimes she forgot Jane didn’t really know anything about their family unless Tavish had already told him.

“It should be,” she said. “Rabbie’s mother disowned him when he married me. Didn't come to the funeral, didn't come when Tavish was born, and all together kept the rest of the DeGroots from us. We only started to get everything back once she was dead and buried.”

Jane winced. “That's awful. I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories- I see why Tavish doesn't talk about it much.”

“No, laddie. You didn't know, and I can talk about it much better than Tavish can, so you might as well hear it all from me.”

Mrs DeGroot took a deep breath.

“I suppose the trouble all began sixty years ago. I was walking down the street with eighteen pennies in my pocket when I met a very handsome man walking the other direction. But before I met that very handsome man, I met a different man with a goiter that tried to chib me with a bottle.”

“What? Someone tried to shank you?” Jane asked, eyes wide. Although he know she had been a demowoman, it was still difficult to imagine her involved in any sort of mercenary activity. He leaned in interested in what she had to say.

She gave a nod at Jane’s shock. “That’s what life was like for me at the time. It was at the end of the depression, and I was taking whatever jobs I could find, trying to support my sisters through school. I was going home with the days earning's when someone recognized me from the docks, and claimed I had stolen a job from him right under his nose. Told him he probably didn't see the job with his shnoz being as big as it was. He didn't like that.”

Jane hummed. “So what happened after that? Did you kill him?”

She chuckled. “No, though I did try. He came at me then. I was lucky he only had a bottle; a drunk man can still do quite a bit of damage with a knife. But as it was, I just dodged him, knocked him off balance, and took the bottle from his hand. Told him that maybe if he was of sterner stuff he might actually get a job in the future. He sputtered something about immigrants. I told him my family had lived there just as long as his. Then he used a few choice words.”

“Oh,” Jane said, frowning hard. “But what does this have to do with your husband?”

She grinned. “Well, I said there were two men, didn't I? As I was smashin’ the first man’s face in with his own bottle, a boy from uptown Aberdeen comes by with fire in his eyes and good in his heart. He tears me off o’ the lout, giving me the old ‘ _Ma’am! Ma’am! Please calm down!_ ’ It didn't help much, but it held me back from killing the other one. As soon as he gets out from under me, he’s holding his bloody face together with both hands, spitting up a storm. Then he uses them words again.”

Mrs DeGroot leaned far back in her chair, sipping her tea.

“There was a moment. I could tell there was a moment where the wheels were turning in Rabbie’s head. He let me go.” A smile sprung across Mrs DeGroot’s face. “The lubber’s eyes got real big then. He may have been dumb, but as soon as Rabbie let me back at him, he knew he was a dead man. He turned tail and ran.”

Jane laughed. He always enjoyed stories where a deserving person got their shit kicked out of them. “What a coward! He deserved what was coming to him.”

“That’s the same conclusion Rabbie and I reached. He offered to walk me home. I agreed. Still have the bottle from that night, blood stains and all.”

Jane nodded. That seemed a justified response to him.

Mrs. DeGroot seemed done for the night though, and he chose not to comment. The two of them returned to their rooms, and Mrs DeGroot was as quiet as he’d ever heard her.

* * *

The crowds had petered out by the last day, but they still managed to snag a few customers among the latecomers. Mrs DeGroot and Jane worked better than ever, laughing and joking after every sale. Seeing her works bring so much in was great, but letting Jane know he had done a good job was definitely a highlight. As the night began to cool, she and Jane sped off toward home, still enthusing about their weekend.

He honked the horn when they entered the driveway, not having any neighbours to worry about annoying. Despite their talk the day before Jane was sure Tavish had been pacing back and forth by the door, waiting for them to arrive for the past few hours, but Tavish did his best to pretend like he hadn’t. He smiled, relieved to see his family back and safe. And loaded too, but the looks of it.

“And here are my two entrepreneurs, home at last.” He kissed his mother on the cheek and pulled Jane into a hug. He wanted to kiss Jane as well, but still didn’t feel comfortable enough with Mum right there.

Despite Tavish's worries, Jane was having none of that. Without so much as a warning, He grabbed the back of Tavish's neck and brought their mouths together. Jane kissed Tavish firmly, ignoring his surprise, as if to prove to him it was ok, they were fine.

When they finally broke, Tavish looked at Jane with a touch of embarrassment. “It’s good to see you too, love.”

His mum seemed not to notice at all.

Jane grinned, happy to see Tavish get flustered. “Yes, yes, greetings completed. Now get to work and come help us haul all this stuff back inside.” He let Tavish stay stunned for a moment and gave Mrs DeGroot a hand pulling stuff out of the trunk. He refused to let her lift any of the larger items.

Tavish helped get the rest of the bombs out of the car, his cheeks still warm. Mum started talking about the prices of things these days, and how back when she was a lass she could sell the whole trunk for a shilling. Tavish wasn’t paying attention, just shooting glances at Jane whenever he could. Mum was still going by the time they had moved everything back up stairs, and only stopped to run off and store the earnings.

“She doesn't believe in banks,” Tavish explained as she disappeared downstairs. They were left alone in the makeshift lab, and Tavish rubbed the back of his neck. “So she seemed very… what exactly…?” He wasn’t sure how to ask about Jane’s open affection, and his mother’s seeming acceptance of it.

“What do you mean?” Jane asked, clueless as ever, “She's fine. I promise I didn't let her overwork herself.” He slid his arms around Tavish's neck.

“Ach, never mind.” He wrapped his arms around Jane’s waist and let them stand in the room for a few minutes.

“You know,” he said eventually, “being alone wasn't as bad as I thought. I mean, I still missed you like hell, but I was able to get through. I went to the pub, did some reading, went for a couple of drives… it was alright. Mum talked me through the most difficult part, is all.”

“Yeah, I felt the same. Maybe we've been a bit too obsessed with making up for lost time.” Jane sighed. “I still miss you, though. I hope you weren't doing any flirting down at the pub.”

“The gall o’ you to even say that!” Tavish ribbed back. “Think I can't even last three days without straying. How do I know you didn't meet another handsome demolitionist at that weapons expo, eh?” He pressed his cheek against Jane, unable to keep the smile off his face.

Jane scoffed. “You can't meet anyone good at those conventions. Everyone is either a hobbyist, or takes safety regulations too seriously. You were the one exception.” He grinned against Tavish's neck before planting a kiss there.

They stood like that for a while longer, but soon a loud yawn overcame Jane. “Come on, let's go to bed. I'm beat.”


	6. Chapter 6

The days after  the expogrew shorteras the worldpreparedfor its winter solstice. Of course, the winter didn’t actually mean colder days in the arid lands of New Mexico, but the chilly nights were more than enough to make up for it. Perhaps Jane had been able to ignore the dullness of post-mercenary life before, but Tavish could tell he was becoming agitated. Usually the Soldier needed an outlet for his natural temper, and the months of peace gave him no opportunity to blow something sky high. The only thing that gave him any reprieve was when he helped Tavish test his sticky bombs out in the backyard.

Tavish decided to take action.

He came home early one day, a new jacket under one arm and a smile on his face. Before Jane could ask why it didn’t have any cats on it, Tavish said, “put on this, luv. Tonight, I’m  takingyou out for a night on the town.”

Jane raised an eyebrow in question, but didn't hesitate in running over and grabbing the jacket. “Where are we going?” He asked, tugging on the jacket. It was a navy blue, and quite cozy. 

“No questions!” Tavish piped. 

It had been a long time since the two of them had actually gone out together just for fun. Unbeknownst to Jane,  Tavish hadalready packed several grenades into the back of his car, which he tugged Jane toward as soon as he’d pulled on the jacket.

Refusing to answer any of Jane’s inquiries, he drove them out to the middle of nowhere. Or at least,  whatlooked to be the middle of nowhere. It was, in fact, near the badlands where they used to kill each other on a daily basis- a bar they had only visited once.

“Remember this place?”

Jane tilted his head . “Not really.”

“We came out here, trying to find something different than our usual bars around the bases,” Tavish began, pulling out a couple bombs from the trunk. “It was frosty, around March. We weren’t yet used  tosneaking out with a person of the opposite team, so we were still being real cautious. They wouldn’t let us in.” He handed Jane a belt of grenades.

“So...” Jane remembered the place with Tavish's description, but he wasn't so sure where this was going. “We’re going to blow up the owner at his place of work?” 

Tavish rolled his eye. “ Don't get excited,Jane. I bought the business, and I bought it out for the express purpose of blowing this shitstain off the map.” He once again tried toshove the belt into Jane’s hands. “C’mon! What’s more therapeutic than some old-fashioned revenge?”

“Alright, alright. Can't argue with that,” Jane laughed, grabbing the belt and slinging it over his shoulder. He eyed the grenades, pleased to see they were the same ones he had used back at BLU.

“Well,” Jane said, gesturing at Tavish with a grin. “Ladies first.”

Tavish punched him hard in the shoulder but stepped up anyway. The car was at the top of the hill, looking down on the bar nestled against t heroad. It was an ugly scar onthe red earthand Tavish was happy to blow it off the map. He took aim.

He wasn’t nearly as good a throw as he was with his grenade launcher, but that wasn’t going to stop him from trying. He noticed the westernmost window, already slightly cracked from neglect. “That window,” he declared with confidence. He pulled the pin and threw.

It bounced off, not enough force to do more than dent the glass. However, Tavish had cooked it perfectly to have it explode a second after landing. It shattered the window and the surrounding wall, leaving a black stain where brick had once been.

“Two points!”

“What, there arepoints now?” Jane scoffed, “If there is that was definitely only one point, a second point for breaking the window with the throw. Watch.” Jane tapped the side of his nose before ripping a grenade from the belt. He pulled the pin and then took a running start, before whipping the grenade down towards the bar with all of his strength.

It sailed through the air at incredible speed and smashed through the second-story window. One second ticked by before it exploded, the resulting force shattering the rest of the windows in the room it landed in.

Jane rubbed his hands together and let out a menacing laugh. “That's how you do it! You're getting old Tavish.”

Tavish closed his mouth, trying to pretend like he wasn’t impressed. “I’m gettin’ old?” he scoffed. “You’re at least a decade older than me.”

“I am NOT!” 

Tavish pulled off another grenade, balancing it in his hand. Smiling to himself, he chose his next target. He wouldn’t be going for pure strength like his boyfriend. No, this contest required finesse.

“The chimney,” he grinned, and let it fly. The grenade sailed, plopping in the hole as intended. If they were closer, they might have heard the gentle banging as it tumbled down the chute. What they did hear was a FUMP as a large part of the internal structure was obliterated.

“Three points!” he declared, awarding himself the arbitrary prize.

“Lucky shot,” Jane complained, tying to completely ignore Tavish's spectacular throw. He wished he had a better sense of architecture in order to guess what placement of the grenade would do the most damage.

He threw another grenade, more casual than the last throw. It bounced off the angled roof, rolling down before settling in the rain gutter and blowing a hole in the roofing.

“See if you can get one in the attic.” Jane commanded.

Tavish was happy to oblige. The hole in the roof was much larger than the chimney, and it landed inside with ease. Another cloud of smoke rose from the now even larger hole, and Tavish suspected that it now led to the first floor.

“ Noteven a challenge!”

Jane punched Tavish in the arm for all his bragging, but  honestly,he was happy about it. It had been a long time since they had spent time together outside of the house. Between Tavish's job and Jane's errands they mostly just spent time curled up on the couch in the evenings. This was why they had struck up their friendship in the first place afterall; their skills were wonderfully matched.

“Alright. What next...” Jane observed the building, dust clouds still billowing out of it. 

He decided to throw a grenade in the window Tavish had broken with his first throw. Without giving Tavish a turn he lobbed two more grenades  atthe same spot. There was a creaking and crunching sound after they exploded, which Jane figured was some of the second floor collapsing.

“Now we're getting started!” he laughed.

Like a snowball  barrelingdown a hill, the two men gathered momentum. Tavish continued hurling grenades into the gaping roof, while Jane worked on the second floor. They barely even took turns anymore, just flinging what they couldto outdo each others damage.

They joked and laughed, only distracted from their work when the other made a vague insult that was refuted with more  grenade tossing. Soon, the roof and second floor werenothing more thana creaking mess of supports and stone.

“Wait,” Tavish said, noticing the state of the bar. He picked up a single grenade and pressed it into Jane’s hands. “Right there,” he said, pointing at a wall on Jane’s side. His intuition told him exactly where would create the most damage. “Put it there, and the whole first floor comes down, crushed under the rest of the weight.”

He stood behind Jane,  placing a firmhand on his back in assurance. His eye was alight with wanton destruction. Jane tossed the grenade in his hands a few times, much like Scout would with his baseball.

Jane nodded. It wasn't a hard shot, but it was the most important, and he wanted to get it perfect. Just as he’d done for the past however many years, he threw the grenade, and watched it sail through the air. The grenade exploded a split second away from hitting the wall, the force was just what was needed.

The wall  collapsedunder the weight of the upper floor, buckling in on itself and taking the rest of the building down with it. Under the extra pressure the other walls folded, and then the roof was dragged down. The sound of snapping wood echoed up the hill, incredibly satisfying to hear. They whooped, and Jane took a few steps back to squeezeTavish’s hand, both their fingers slightly cold from the night chill.

“That was fun,” he panted, out of breath from all the excitement.

“Fun?” Tavish shouted. “That was bloody fantastic!” 

Although he had thought Jane was the one who needed to get out of the house, he hadn’t realized how sorely he needed this.  He missed the mayhem, the pure joy of blowing something up for no other purpose.

He let Jane go with a smile. “C’mon. I brought some beer for when we chuck the last few at the sky.”

“You get it from the car .I'm going to smash this bar into even smaller pieces.” Jane plopped down on the grass, and started hurlingthe last few grenades at the pile of rubble.

Tavish came back with the beer, and the two sat on the top of the hill as the stars began to draw in. They laughed, becoming drunk as slowly as the night came. The last grenades were used toeither break up the bar further, or to toss into the sky for a shimmer of light. Oncethey were gone, Jane and Tavish argued about who had gotten the most points even though neither of them had actually been keeping count.

Tavish let Jane have most of the beer, since he still needed to drive the two of them home , but there was still enough in him to heighten his affection. Decidingthat Jane’s mouth would be better used for kissing rather than arguing, he pulled himin for a smooch.

Jane sighed, much too warm, drunk, and happy to care about not winning the argument. In the dark up on a hill at the edge of town, they didn't have to worry about being seen. Jane let his hands wander, running up the back of Tavish's wool jacket and then back down his sides.

He managed to ruin the mood by sliding his freezing fingers under Tavish's shirt, causing him to pull away and yelp in surprise.

“Why, you -”

He didn’t get to say much more as Jane laughed in response. He growled, immediately taking his revenge by reaching out his own cold hands. Jane was too fast, twisting away easily even in his inebriated state.

“I take you out for the most romantic-arse date in the world and this is how you repay me?” He lunged again, but just Jane dodged aside with a laugh.

Several more failed attempts turned kissing into a mini-wrestling match, the two rolling around on the packed dirt under the stars.

“I'm sorry!” Jane laughed, no truth in his words whatsoever. The next time the scuffle rolled them over and Jane was on top, he leaned down and kissed Tavish once again. “Will that stop your whining?” Jane asked, smug smile still on his face.

“No,” Tavish heaved. He looked up at Jane, grinning in the half-light of the moon and framed by the stars about them. “Another one might, though.”

“Alright,” Jane said, leaning back down and kissing Tavish again. 

He was slower this time, letting himself sink down onto Tavish's body. Arms wrapped around his back and Jane pulled away, only to nose his way under the collar to kiss Tavish's neck. Tavish did a poor job stifling the sound that escaped his throat. Softly, Jane’s mouth m adeits way over Tavish’s throat, peppering him with loving bites. 

They didn’t care about the cold setting or the dust clinging to their clothes, so wrapped in each other that it didn’t matter. When Tavish became still, Jane's eyes blinked open, and he found himself staring straight into Tavish's eye. He let their noses bump together and sighed, giving Tavish one last peck on the lips before sliding off of him and onto his side.

There was no cloud cover tonight, so they could see millions of stars twinkling across the night sky. Tavish tried to think of something he could say to summarize the night, but came up with nothing. Instead, he moved his arm further under Jane to make him more comfortable, and looked up at the sky. It was so much nicer than any city, and the unpolluted light  remindedhim of the small town where he had grownup.

Eventually, the aches in his neck and his back reminded him that he wasn’t a young man any more, and he propped himself on an elbow.

“I dunno about you, but I’d rather not sleep under the stars when there’s a nice bed for us at home.”

“ Isuppose,” Jane yawned, curlingup closer to Tavish. “Tonight was brilliant,Tavish.Can we do this again sometime?”

“Aye, I’d love to.  Don't knowwhy I didn’t think of it from the beginning,” Tavish admitted. “After all, just because we’re practically married now doesn’t mean we can’t do crazy romantic things in the middle of the desert.”

Jane 's face reddened.“Don't say things like that,” he grumbled. 

They were quiet, still laying under the stars. Jane  fiddledwith the buttons on Tavish's coat while he thought about what Tavish hadsaid.

“Would you really marry me?” Jane asked suddenly . “If we could get married?”

“O f course I’d marry you,” Tavish told him, holding a hand to the side of his face. “I’d marry you in an instant if I could. I want tospend the rest of me life with you, for richer and for poorer, and all that crap.”

Tavish stopped. He had begun to just sputter out his feelings again, with little regard to the consequences.

“I  didn't meanit like that,” Jane mumbled. “It's just that some people get married without being in love, some people fall in love but don't get married. I just... wasn't sure if you would want that with me. I don't know.” Jane rubbed his face. He was making a mess of his words as usual, but itseemed like something he shouldn't assume.

“No, it’s fine Jane. I think… well, I guess since my parents were really in love when they got married, I’ve always seen the two as the same.”

Tavish sighed. Maybe that was the problem, he was thinking about this in the wrong way. What  did it matterhow theylabeled their relationship? As long as they had each other, that was what mattered.

“Since we can’t, I don’t think it’s something we should worry about. For now I’m happy with what we got. At the end of the day, marriage is a promise. Maybe that’s something we should do instead?” He hesitated, then picked up Jane’s hands in his own. “Jane Doe, you’re the love of my life, and I promise to never hurt you or to go astray. I promise to love you with all my heart, for as long as we  both shall live, and probably a long time after.”

“Tavish , I...” Jane swallowed. He wanted to say something just as beautiful, but he wascompletely tongue tied. “I love you, I'd never leave you Tavish, you're my family.”

He gazed at Tavish, his eye bore deep into Jane's soul.  Sure, it wasa little plain, but it was the only way Jane could putit. He shifted forward and pulled Tavish into a hug.Jane needed to hold him just a while longer.

After a while of rubbing Jane’s back, Tavish gently asked, “You good, laddie?”

“I'm more than good .I feel incredible!” Jane laughed, standing up and then grabbing Tavish's hands to pull him up as well. “But I'm ready to go home.”

Hand-in-hand, they walked back to Tavish's car. Jane felt truly blessed to have  spentthis time with Tavish, and that Tavish loved him enough to want to marry him, want to be with him forever. They were things he knew already, but it was always nice to be reminded.

* * *

As Smissmas rolled closer, Tavish realized with panic one crucial thing: he had no idea what to get Jane.

Sure they’d spent Smissmases together before, but they always got each other things like bottles of nice whiskey and new boots. This would be a real proper Smissmas as a family, and Tavish’s mind was blank. 

Unbeknownst to him, Jane had already managed to gauge the exact level of sentimentality, and was in the process of making a scrapbook. A few days after Thanksgiving he'd rented a Polaroid camera, and had been coming up with as many excuses as possible to take pictures of the three of them together. As of yet, Tavish hadn't caught on to his plan. He wanted it to be memories about them, and their coming together. All their stuff from before the war was long gone, so he wanted to work with the memories they'd made after, and the process of becoming a family. 

Although that was set, he still needed to determine Mrs DeGroot’s gift. She was out in the garden one morning while Tavish and Jane had their morning coffee, and Jane decided it would be a good time to ask Tavish's opinion.

With uncertainty, he presented a pair of brand new gardening gloves over the counter. “Do you think it was a good idea? Do you think she'll like them?”

Tavish blinked. He’d never gotten his mother anything but what she asked for; there was no ambiguity when it came to her gift. This year’s list featured “you will not take the entire week off and will work until the twenty-third exactly”, “stop leaving your shoes in places where blind women are going to trip over them”, and “fix the damn draft in my room for crying out loud”. 

(Also, he always got her a box of her favorite toffees.)

The fact that Jane had gotten her something not only practical, but unique, was amazing.

“I think she’ll love it!” Tavish grinned. “She’s always out there with the herbs and such, I’m sure she’d appreciate it. Probably not even ex pecting a gift from you.”

“Why wouldn't she be expecting a gift?” Jane grumbled, glaring at Tavish across the table. “I sure hope you're right, though .I don't want her thinking it's not a nice enough gift, or she is too attached to her ratty old gloves.”

“No, she’s not sentimental like me. At least, not when it comes  tothings non-DeGroot related.”

Tavish picked at his eggs idly. Now would be the perfect time to start probing for Jane’s ideal gift. Everything he knew about Jane led him to believe that Jane wasn’t really attached to material things; stuff in his old home was crappy and worn down, and Jane never saw any reason to replace anything. He wasn’t interested in his own comfort, and his only hobbies were either illegal or cheap. Which mean t the only thing Tavish could get him was a gift from the heart.

“So…” he began in the most subtle way possible. “Would you consider yourself as sentimental person?”

“I guess,” Jane said, surprised. “I mean, I would have kept all out photos if the War hadn't happened. And all those little figurines you bought me mean a lot. So yes, I am,” he finished, not one to pick up on even that obvious of a ruse, and the conversation changed trajectory.

* * *

While Tavish struggled to find a gift for Jane, Jane worked hard on Tavish's. He'd turned one of the spare rooms Tavish had allowed him into a sort of craft room. Bits and scraps of paper littered the floor, and abeat up old table sat in the center of the room with a folding chair shoved under it. Tavish never bothered checking the rooms, as he still assumed they were empty, and while Tavish was at work Jane was able to work on his gift in peace.

The page he was working on now was photos of him and Tilly.  It didn't involve Tavish, but he knew Tavish was very happy that the two of them had become so close. He also taped in the ticket to the convention that he'd saved. It was only a week until Smissmas, but there were only a few pages left to finish.

There was no snow for their homey mansion -not unless you counted midmorning frost on Mum’s precious herbs- but they still made it as festive as possible. Tavish hung the lights, hauled the decorations from the basement, and all together made a fetching display. The three of them picked out a tree, and Mum made a terrible deal out of being the only one to water it. Tavish just rolled his eye. He knew if anyone else even tried she’d tell them they were doing it wrong.

Tavish felt the days trickle by, and was frustrated to find he was no closer than at the start. He had a lead, but it had to be deeper than another cat figurine. Combining that idea with some other gift was essential; they were the part that made Jane feel at home. But he couldn’t figure out what.

Tavish was walking down the street a week before Smissmas, carols in his ears but apprehension in his heart. Despite his troubled thoughts, he still stopped outside the pet shop door to drop a few coins in the red kettle. The old man jingled his bell happily, and Tavish tipped his hat. Mum never approved of him giving out charity, but she became less vocal about it around Smissmas time.

So long as he was just standing at the corner, he pressed his nose against the front of the shop. There were a litter of puppies in the window, rolling around and unaware of the magical time of year. They were mutts, none dark enough to look like Pepper, but still enough to make Tavish nostalgic.

He watched a particularly fat pup tumble over its sibling, and he smiled. He remembered the pure joy of receiving a puppy for Christmas, how it seemed to wash away everything the year had thrown at him. Of course, the dog hadn’t actually fixed their families problems, but for a brief time it was a needed distraction.

Tavish blinked in shock. It had been staring him in the face the whole time, hadn’t it? With a smile, he waved at the puppies and was on his way.

* * *

Smissmas Eve was another wonderful affair , and Jane pulled out all the stops for dinner once again. The tree was sparse for gifts, but no one noticed, too overstuffed as dinner came to a close. Tavish poured three glasses of wine and raised a toast over the half devoured table.

“To the spirit of  Smissmas!” he called, and listened as his family echoed back. He drank, getting a good start on his holiday drunkenness.

The living room smelled of mint and juniper, overpowering the scents from the kitchen. As they waddled away from dinner, Tavish ambushed the tipsy Jane.

“Would you look at that,” he grinned, pointing at the mistletoe above them. “I wonder how that got up there…”

“Must be fairies.” Jain chuckled, pulling Tavish in for a kiss. After a few moments they pulled apart, but kept their arms around each other. “Are you excited for Smissmas?” 

(It had always been a big deal back at BLU base, even when they were given leave for the holidays, they would still decorate starting in November to keep up morale.)

“ You have no idea how ready I am,” Tavish laughed. “No one can beat me on Smissmas cheer. What about you? I don'tthink you can outdo tonight’s dinner. Notunless you have a second goose stashed around here somewhere.”

“Tomorrow will be ham,” Jane  announced. “I figured I should do something different, the rest is a surprise though.” Hegrinned. “So, do you have your gifts ready? I don't want to see you running out to the mall this evening because you forgot.” 

Tavish grinned. “Oh, I have me gifts all lined up. However,” he paused for effect, knowing he would catch Jane’s curiosity, “that’s not to say I won’t have to run out for it.” He gave Jane a wink.

Jane squinted back at him, trying to think of an appropriate Smissmas gift that had to be picked up last minute. “You're messing with me,” Jane said, giving Demo a sly look. Demo shrugged, and that just made Jane more curious.

Knowing he had Jane’s full interest, Tavish did his best to  remainaloof. He walked out from under the mistletoe to where his mother was plopped on the couch. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he said, “Why don'twe go to the other room for some carols?”

“You must have fuzz for brains if you think I can sing right now,” she said waving him off, but her son persisted.

“Oh, c’mon, Mum. I know you want to,” he  egged her on. When Jane appeared in the door, he called for backup. “I mean, it’s notSmissmas Eve without some music, right Jane?”

“I tisn't?” Jane asked. Music had never been on his list of Smissmas traditions, but he was open to those of his new family as well. “I'd like to hear you play the piano again Tavish.”

“Well there you have it,” Tavish said  matter-of-factly. “You’re outvoted, Mum.”

She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, but allowed herself to be shuffled into the music room. Tavish pulled out a chair for her, and another for Jane. He then stretched his fingers over they keys.

“Alright lords  and ladies, any suggestions for our first song of the night?”

Jane shrugged when Demo glanced at him, his mind was blank of songs. “Tilly, what's your favourite Smissmas carol?”

“Ach, nothin gtoo fast right now, I feel like I’m going toburst. Start off with Silent Night, aye?”

Tavish nodded, and began to play the soft opening notes. Tilly joined in after a few measures, her tone lifting harmoniously with the music. Although her voice creaked with age, it seemed to blend all the better for it, and the two played out the gentle duet. As Tavish let the last notes loose into the room, he turned to Jane with a smile.

“She’s good, aye?”

“I’d be better if Jane were actually  singingalong,” Mum said with a huff.

“I’m more of a trumpet player,” Jane admitted.

“Oh, come now,” Mrs. DeGroot berated him. “That never stopped Rabbie.”

That earned a loud cackle from Tavish, and he leaned over the piano while he laughed uncontrollably. “Ach,  don'tremind me!” He smiled at Jane. “Da couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but he always made the room lighter when he tried. C’mon, love. It’s just us, no reason tobe nervous.”

Jane smiled at seeing Tavish laugh while remembering his dad, it was such a rare thing to see. Although Jane still wasn't sure he wanted to sing, it made him a lot more relaxed.

“Well, alright then!” Jane said with a grin.

Tavish smiled at him, then turned back to the piano. He hammered out the first notes of Sleigh Ride, and Mum joined in instantly.

_ “…C’mon it’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!” _

Mum elbowed Jane in the side, motioning him to join her.

Jane started quietly, not doing much more than an open-mouthed hum under his breath , but quickly threw himself into it. Tavish glanced at him, a smile quirking his mouth when he saw Jane's lips move with the words. It was embarrassing, but another jab from Tilly had him singing properly.

By the end of the song Jane was belting out the words. He sounded terrible, but his voice blended well with Tavish and Tilly's. The song ended, and Jane sagged against the back of his chair.

Tavish reached over from his spot on the stool to give his boyfriend a pat on the shoulder. “That was great Jane! You really got into it!”

“Who knew that such a ball  ofenergy would be shy aboutSmissmas carols,” Mum tutted. “I cannae believe I have tae say this but: it doesn'tmatter how good you are when it comes tohaving gooda time, Jane. All you gotta do is feel it.”

Jane tried to shrug off their gentle praise, the extra attention just made him more embarrassed. “Alright, alright...  get on with it, Tavish, what's the next one?”

The three of them threw out more carols, going through Tavish’s whole mental library and having to resort to sheet music. Some of them Jane didn’t know, but Mum helped him whenever she found him slacking. They poured their hearts out well into the night.

“Ach, my voice is getting sore,” Tilly complained as Up on the Rooftop ended. “I think that’s all for tonight.”

“More wine?” Tavish asked as he perked up.

“Jesus lad, I  don'tneed more than one!”

Tavish shrugged. “More for me.”

The three of them returned to the living room, and Tavish  broughtout three wine glasses and a cup of hot cider. Apparently, two of the wines were for him.

“I'm not going to tell you what to do, but you better not be hung over Smissmas morning,” Jane grumbled . “It's just not festive.” Jane went and grabbed a beer from the kitchen, wine just wasn't for him. Tavish shrugged again and claimed the third glass for himself.

Despite the bright lights and cheer pouring from the radio, they couldn’t suppress their yawns as the night rolled around. Finally, finishing her second cider, Mum arose and made her way to the stairs.

“ Don'tstay up too late, lads. We’re goingtochurch bright andearly tomorrow morning,” she called as she ascended.

Tavish stifled a groan, and regretfully put down his glass. He blinked sleepily at Jane. “Right. Almost had the good  fortune of forgettingthat.Safe toassume you’re coming with us?”

“I guess,” Jane shrugged, “I've never gone on Smissmas, but I don't see why not.” 

Tavish smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Alright then.But I do think me mum is right: we should be gettingoff tobed.”

The two stood, stretching after a night of good food, good drink, and good company. It was best to get to bed early on the most Holy of days. You never did know when Old Nick would come poking around, after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Despite Jane’s warnings, Tavish was sporting a rather nasty hangover when he woke up the next morning. Usually he would start on another bottle to lessen the blow, but even he wasn’t fool enough to show up to church tipsy. Staying awake during mass wasn’t too hard, especially since his church clothes were awfully tight. Nothing like itchy fabric to keep you focused on the Lord.

They'd realized in the morning that Jane didn't have any clothes of an even semi-formal nature. He'd let Tavish dig through his clothes to find something relatively decent, and ended up in a simple button down shirt and his least worn out pair of jeans.

Jane did consider himself a proper God-fearing American, but that didn't mean he'd ever gone to church. He tried to keep quiet, but sitting in one place for any amount of time made him twitch. He leaned closer to Tavish, trying to keep his voice low as to not be heard by the surrounding church-goers. 

“How much longer is this?” He asked.

“It’s long on Smissmas,” Tavish whispered back. “At least another hour.”

Any other reassurances were cut off as Mum shushed the both of them, and Tavish settled back in his seat. He could tell Jane was getting antsy, but didn’t think there was anything they could do but wait it out. Music from the choir floated out as the priest finished his sermon, praising the spirit of Smissmas and all that crap.

Jane sighed. He had tried to listen to the sermon and the singing, but his attention kept drifting elsewhere. He still wondered if Mrs DeGroot would like his gift, and Tavish, would Tavish like his gift as well? Sure, he'd act as if he liked it no matter what, but would he really?

It kept him on edge all through church, and even into the rest of the day where they stopped in town for a light lunch.

“Alright!” Tavish cheered as they finally arrived home. “Who’s ready for some ham?”

“Presents first,” Jane interjected. “I'll put the ham in the oven, then we can open gifts.”

However, as soon as Jane had gone to begin the dinner, Tavish slipped out of the house with only a “be back soon” to his mother.

“Where in the blazes are you going?” she tutted, but Tavish was already gone.

She grumbled, then turned on the radio for some carols.

Over in the kitchen Jane was finishing up dinner preparations. Despite his own advice, he decided to tone down Christmas dinner, as they still had frozen turkey from Thanksgiving stashed deep in the freezer. The main event was a small ham he'd picked up from the store a few days ago, accompanied by scalloped potatoes, creamed spinach, biscuits, and a salad for Mrs DeGroot, who liked that kind of thing.

Jane was good at getting his prep done early, so getting the ham in the oven took less than half an hour. When he was finished, Jane dusted off the coating of flour on his pants and headed into the living room.

“Where's Tavish?” He asked, taking a seat on the couch.

“I don't know what that boy gets up to,” Mrs DeGroot muttered. “He popped out a little while ago, said he’d be back soon.”

“Now is not the time to be wandering around,” Jane grumbled. 

He was starting to get antsy again, thinking about how his family might react to their gifts. He was just about to say something huffy when he was stopped by the sound of a car pulling up.

“Well, speak of the devil,” Mrs DeGroot said.

While Jane peeked out the window, Tavish snuck around the back door. Jane’s gift wasn’t heavy, but it was delicate, and Tavish carried it with the utmost care. Setting it just outside the living room, he rushed back to the tree before realizing it was making noises. He quickly threw his jacket over it before rejoining the others.

“Merry Smissmas, everyone!” he grinned as he re-entered. “Hope you didn’t miss me.”

“We did,” Jane said bluntly. “Get over here so we can open gifts!”

As Tavish sat on the couch next to his mother, he eyed the bag in her hands. Jane’s gift no doubt. She must have sensed his interest, for she once again began shaking it.

“Well don’t just sit there,” Tavish prompted, “open it!”

She did, lifting out the pair of gloves delicately. Her fingers traced over the small rubber bumps in their surface, perfect for her less dexterous hands.

“So? What do you think? Is it okay?” Jane blurted. “I thought you could replace those ones you have, they are getting really worn out.” the words spilled from Jane's mouth without so much as a thought.

“Trying to tell me my gloves aren’t good enough?” she asked, unaware that that was exactly what Jane was dreading to hear.

Before Jane could have a meltdown, Tavish stepped in. “ _Mum_.”

“Ach, I’m just playing with you, lad. They’re lovely. It’ll be nice not being pricked to death every time I tend the raspberries.

Jane collapsed against the back of the couch in relief. She liked them! He ran his hands over his face, then sat back up. Tavish was smirking at him.

He frowned. “Fine then, what did you get her?”

“He got me ‘not being a lazy buffoon’,” Mrs DeGroot grunted.

“And I fixed the draft in your room.”

“And he fixed the draft in my room,” Mrs DeGroot allowed. “However, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t get you two some gifts. Go grab them,” she told Tavish as she elbowed him in the ribs.

He rolled his eye. “Don’t start with that, Mum. You’re going to get Jane actually excited.”

Tavish knew exactly what their presents were. Same as it was every year.

Jane glared at Tavish. Doing chores was not the same as a proper Smissmas gift! He'd have to make sure Tavish bought her something proper next year. From under the tree Tavish grabbed two small packages, reading the labels on them he passed one over to Jane. He looked down at the little package, then over at Tavish, who was opening his in an almost bored fashion.

“Ah. What a surprise,” Tavish said as he lifted the white fabric up to his face. “Socks yet again.”

“Your generation is so entitled,” Mum said. “When I was a little girl I would have been proud to get socks. Do you know how many blisters I got on my feet when I had worn my only pair through? Do you know that for Smissmas I used to get an extra sip of water as my present? And I was grateful!”

Tavish rolled his eye again. “Yes Mum. I’m an ungrateful pillock. You’re right.”

“Don’t you roll your eye at me, young man!” she said out of pure intuition.

Jane grinned as he watched their banter. It had become so familiar to him it was just another aspect of home. As they continued their bickering, Jane opened his own present. Judging from the similarity in size it would also be socks, but Jane didn't mind. Getting the same gift as Tavish would really just symbolize his place in the family.

Once he’d ascertained that yes, they were indeed socks, he handed his gift toward Tavish. “Tavish! Here.”

Jane pulled out the carefully wrapped bow from under the tree. He sat next to Tavish, then placed the present on his lap. Jane wedged his hands under his thighs, waiting for him to open the gift.

Tavish blinked. He’d almost forgotten that Jane was just as entwined with gift giving as he was. To think they’d both been so worried about what the other thought of his gift.

Looking up briefly at Jane, he began to untie the present. When he saw the scrapbook, he was at first hit by confusion. “A book?” He’d never been much of a reader…

Jane turned pink, shuffling closer to Tavish. “No! It's not _a_ book it's _our_ book!” He reached over, opening it to the first page. On it was a picture of the mansion, with Mrs DeGroot sitting on the front porch. “See? There's the receipt from where you took me for lunch the day I got here.” He pointed to the slip of paper taped under the photo. He then flipped to the next page, which had some of the photos Jane had taken of the three of them together. “That's what all the photos have been for. They are all in here.”

Tavish turned the pages silently. Pictures of him and Jane. Pictures of Jane and Mum. The three of them. Other pictures towards the back, what looked like copies of photos from the old scrapbooks. It had been so long since Tavish had seen new photos; they were something sealed so far in the past, from a time when they were three instead of two.

Only they were three again. One happy family. Tavish turned the last page of the scrapbook, and tears welled in his eye.

“So?” Jane said gently as Tavish finished, “Do you like it?”

Tavish closed the book. Still holding it with one hand, he wrapped an arm around Jane’s shoulders, pulling him to his side. The tears came faster now, overwhelmed without how complete he felt. “Thank you. Thank you, Jane.”

Mrs DeGroot patted Jane on the shoulder from his other side. “I think that means he likes it.”

Jane felt as though a weight he had been carrying for weeks had finally been lifted from his shoulders. He hadn't wanted Tavish to cry over it, but it was proof enough that he loved the gift.

Jane squeezed Tavish back and nuzzled against his neck. “I love you,” he whispered, so only they could hear.

“Mmm,” was all Tavish could manage. They stayed like that for a while, until Mum got impatient and gave them a poke. Regretfully, Tavish placed his opened gift underneath the tree along with the socks. He then stood and stretched.

“Well,” he said, “I guess that leaves only one present left.”

“Mine?” Jane asked.

“You got it!” Tavish said with more confidence than he felt.

He kissed Jane on the cheek before rushing out.

Carefully, he took the jacket off the box and lifted it into his arms. It was impossible to miss the surprise on Jane’s face as he walked back in, his mother’s only calm curiosity. He placed the box on the floor in front of Jane.

“Sorry I didn’t wrap it. But it’s inside that counts, aye?”

Jane stared at the box, Tavish's (lack of) explanation only making him more curious. He scooted up to the very edge of the couch, and reached down to open the box. Just before he opened it the box shook, making Jane jump.

“What's in there?” he asked, incredulous, but Tavish just shrugged. With that he reached back in, lifting the flaps open.

And there it was. Jane froze, unable to believe what he saw. Inside the box was a small, fluffy silver tabby kitten. Its beady blue eyes stared up at Jane, and it let out a high-pitched mew.

“Oh, sweet lady liberty,” Jane breathed. “It's a kitten. There is a kitten in this box.” 

He reached inside, letting the kitten sniff him before scooping it up in his hands. It was still so small that it fit perfectly in the cupped palms of his hands. 

“Hello,” he said to the cat, holding it close to his face. It mewed again, and Jane couldn't stop the bright smile from lighting up his face.

“He’s all yours,” Tavish said with a pat on Jane’s back. He should have known Jane would take to the cat instantly. “I was never happier than when I had man’s best friend by me side, and I thought you might feel the same. Granted, a cat is only like… man’s second-best friend, but still.”

The kitten gave another mew, and Tavish watch Jane melt even more.

“I know it’s a big responsibility, but if you’re up for it-”

“Of course!” Jane yelled, then quieted himself to not scare the kitten. “He's perfect! I can't believe…”

It was sitting on his chest now, sniffing at Jane's chin. He petted its soft fluff absently. 

After a moment, he asked the kitten, “so what do you think Sgt. Whiskers? Want to stay here in this big mansion with us?” The kitten stayed silent, but Jane took it as a confirmation anyway. “Yes sir!”

Mrs DeGroot huffed from her side of the couch. “Great. As soon as we get rid of one animal in the house, another one takes its place.”

Tavish rolled his eye. “Mum. We haven’t had a pet in the house in thirty years.”

“Tch,” she still scoffed. “Not long enough.”

Tavish ignored her, and leaned over to pet the newest addition of the family. “Hey there, Whiskers. Don’t mind her, she’ll get used to you. She always does. Got a soft spot for big balls of love that are just looking for a home.” He gave Jane a wink.

Jane elbowed Tavish at that, but didn't say anything else about it Jane suggested. He continued to pet the kitten, who seemed to be tired and was currently falling asleep on him.

Suddenly, a worried thought pricked him. “Tavish, did you get food? Or litter? The pet stores won't be open until tomorrow.”

“I did,” Tavish nodded. “I got them ahead of time, but I couldn’t grab this little fella until today. No beds and stuff, though. I didn’t want to in case you didn’t end up wanting him. Anyway, we can grab all that tomorrow. Tonight we’ll get him some blankets and he’ll be set.”

Mum sniffed disdainfully.

Tavish raised an eyebrow. “You want to pet the cat, don’t you Mum?”

“Like I’d want to pet some fleaball you picked up from off the street,” she scoffed.

“Mum…”

She frowned, her bluffed called. Grumbling, she scooted closer to Jane, and Tavish guided her hand to where the cat lay sleeping. She stroked it with two her fingers and the little thing purred in its sleep.

They passed the rest of the night like that, talking quietly as to not wake Sergeant Whiskers. Tavish had to pull Jane out of his daze by telling him the timer had gone off.

“Oh,” Jane said, now a lot less interested in dinner than he had been all morning. “Tavish can you set up the room? Here,” as carefully as possible, he transferred the kitten onto Mrs DeGroot's lap. “I'll get the food on the table while you get the room ready. Can you watch the Sarge, mum?”

“I can’t watch anything,” she told him, and waved him off when he tried to correct himself. “Go, I’ll take care of the tom.”

Tavish and Jane set up for dinner, the smell from the food just as heavenly as the night before. The plates were set, the food put out, and the sleeping Whiskers was back into his box. The three sat around the table once again, and Tavish smiled around him.

“Merry Smissmas everyone, if I haven’t said it enough.”

“Merry Smissmas,” Jane replied, “This is the best one I've ever had! Who wants ham?”

* * *

Eventually, they wore themselves out, returning to their respective rooms and setting up Sgt. Whiskers in some spare blankets. A little bit of food and he was once again off, cute face scrunched with tiredness.

As Tavish got into his side of the bed, he opened the scrapbook once again. He’d waited until Jane had drifted off a bit before looking at it, wanting to take his time. Jane had put so much care into each and every photo, and the delicateness required was unusual for the brash man.

Although, he didn’t seem so brash anymore. Maybe it was because before Tavish had only ever known him while they were out doing property damage and drinking, but Jane seemed softer ever since he had come to live with them. With Mum, with the cat, with the kids at the hospital. He was gentle deep down; just maybe let his excited nature get in the way.

Tavish closed the book with a smile and pressed a kiss to the half-asleep Jane. “Night , love. You’ve made today wonderful.”

* * *

The next morning, Jane's usual routine was interrupted by his own excitement to see his new kitten. He skipped his usual workout, shower, breakfast, etc. and went right into the spare room. The kitten was awake, and bounded up to him when he entered the room, meowing again and again.

“At ease Sarge, I'm here.” Jane sat on the floor and let the little kitten crawl over his lap and up onto his shoulders, the little claws pricking him all the way. A few feet away was a crumpled-up ball of paper they'd left for Whiskers to play with before they got proper toys. Jane reached out and grabbed it, then tossed it towards the far wall. The kitten leaped from his shoulder and dashed after the ball, pouncing on it when it rolled to a stop.

After a while, Jane started when a voice from the door said, “having fun?”

He looked over his shoulder to see Tavish, and smiled. “Yeah, he's an agile little guy.” Said little guy was currently peering out from behind the box. “Was there something you needed me for?”

“No, just wanted to see where you were.” Tavish watched Jane make the kitten jump a few more times. “You know, we could go out and get him some real toys. And a bed. And some food bowls.”

Jane frowned. It took a few minutes of convincing, but eventually Tavish was able to pry Jane down to breakfast, and then away from the mansion to shop for some cat supplies. However, as soon as they got home, (Jane insisting that he could carry all the bags by himself), he wasted no time going upstairs to greet the kitten.

Sgt. Whiskers was once again happy to see them, the young kitten not yet used to spending much time alone. Jane set up the bowls first, dumping the food and water out of the dishes he'd borrowed from the cabinet. Mrs DeGroot would be a lot happier not eating off the same plates as the cat. The kitten wasn't interested in eating though, so Jane pulled out the toys. He started with the feather tassel on a string, holding it out to show the Sarge. Once the kitten got a good sniff, Jane pulled it back, dragging it around so it bounced along the floor. The kitten was entranced immediately, crouching down on the carpet, its pupils going wide. With a little wiggle the kitten pounced, just missing the tassel and proceeding to chase it wherever Jane flicked it.

Despite the feeling he was no longer needed, Tavish stayed in the closed off room. Watching Jane watch the kitten was fantastic, every little hop of the cat sending the Soldier into fits off laughs. Tavish sat himself down in the furnitureless room and smiled, occasionally dragging around a feather for the fun of it.

The day felt familiar, and Tavish realized why; it was the day after Smissmas, the time when everyone wanted to play with their new toys.

As the kitten began falling asleep in Jane's arms, he walked over to sit with Tavish against the wall. “Look, he played right until he was passing out. That's determination.” 

“Quite the trooper,” Tavish said in agreement. “I think he’ll be a good catcher one day. Mum’ll never have a problem with rabbits in her garden again.”

Jane nodded slowly. “Yeah, he'll be the best hunter the world has ever seen. I can already tell.” 

Jane kept stroking the kitten gently It started to purr in it's sleep, which made Jane's grin stretch wider. “I still can't believe you got him for me. I really don't know how to thank you enough.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it too much,” Tavish laughed. “After all, you got me a gift just as good. That album…” Tavish trailed off. He reached a hand to the now asleep Sergeant. “Did you…did Mum tell you that Da was the one who used tae take the pictures?”

Jane tilted his head slightly, fingers still buried in the kitten's fur. “No, she didn't. I wondered if that was the case, but I didn't want to ask. Talking about him seems to make both of you sad.” 

“That’s not…” The words caught in Tavish’s throat. He _was_ rather melancholy whenever his father came up. No wonder Jane only felt comfortable asking about him to Mum. “It’s… complicated. It’s still hard to talk about, even after all these years, but I don’t want to forget him. I want the whole world to remember how good a man he was, and I’m glad to tell you about him whenever.”

“I’d love to hear about him. You've just never seemed very open about your family, or your childhood in general.”

Although Jane knew it had happened, Jane knew nothing about Tavish's adopted parents, or the time he'd spent in the orphanage before his birth parents came to get him. Jane never tried to pry, but he hoped that maybe one day Tavish would feel like sharing those things with him.

Tavish shrugged. “Well, neither are you.”

“I don’t have a big important family history, though,” Jane pointed out.

Tavish shrugged again. “Fair, I guess. I don’t know where to start. Is there anything in particular you want to know about?”

“Well...” Jane began, feeling a bit awkward now that Tavish was suddenly more open. “What's your earliest memory?”

Tavish leaned back, bumping his head lightly against the wall. “Hmm. I have a couple of memories from the orphanage. The first time I was in it, I mean. There was a lot of rainy days, and I hated being cooped up, especially when there was nothing to do inside. I’d steal steel wool and light bulb filaments, just to see what I could do with them.” Tavish chuckled. “Ended up starting a fire in the chapel. They locked me in the closet for three days for it, only bread and water for my “careless destruction of the Lord’s home”.”

“So you've been a demoman and an arsonist since birth, huh?” It was worth a bit of a chuckle. “And what about your first family? What were they like? Did you like them?”

“My adoptive parents?” Even though he should have seen it coming, the question caught Tavish by surprise. “They were…”

He honestly couldn’t remember much. It was such a brief period, it sometimes seemed like he had more memories of the orphanage than them. 

“They were nice people, I suppose,” he admitted. “I was too busy being grateful tae be out of that place I didn’t even notice if they had any flaws. No wraps on the knuckles for bad behaviour, going to a proper school, it was all I could ask for. I think if we had gotten to know each other a bit more, I think we would’ve been a good family.”

Jane looked over at him regretfully. “Sorry. Maybe we shouldn't go through this.” Jane sighed. He was finally finished petting Sgt. Whiskers, and just lay his hand on it's back.

“What? No, no,” Tavish protested. “It’s alright. I feel like…ach, I dunno. It’s been a long time, and I want to talk about it.” Tavish saw that Jane’s hand had stilled, and placed his own over it. “I know I can be a bit private at times, but that’s only when no one tells me I’m being a hermit. I mean… I know I shouldn’t bottle this stuff up, but I do anyway because I’m an idiot who won’t do what’s good for himself. You and Mum remind me of that.”

Jane rolled his eyes. “You're such a sap,” he said, shooting Tavish a look. “Alright then, If you don't remember much about your other parents, then what about when Mrs DeGroot and Rabbie came to get you? Did you even know you weren't actually an orphan?”

“Not a clue,” Tavish smiled. “They came up telling me they were my ‘real’ parents, and six-year-old me couldn't give less of a fuck. Whatever these adults wanted to tell themselves was fine by me as long as they took me away from that hellhole. It wasn’t until they started encouraging my bomb-making that I realized they were telling the truth. It was great. I felt like I really had found a real home with folks like me.”

Jane smiled. He was glad Tavish didn't have to suffer any longer than that, but there was still something that bothered him. “You were happy to be with them, but did you ever resent them for giving you up in the first place? I mean, what was the point?”

Now that was a hard question, one Tavish didn’t have an answer to. He stared at the opposite wall as he tried to organise his thoughts.

“Tradition,” he eventually answered. “Mum was borderline obsessed with DeGroot ways, and Da still wanted his son to grow up with the family heritage. I don’t think that ever bothered me as a kid. As far as I was concerned, I hardly deserved parents after what I did to my first ones.”

“What happened exactly?” Jane asked quietly. He had never heard the full story about what happened to Tavish's other parents.

Tavish put his hands back in his lap and twiddled his thumbs. “An accident.”

He wanted to leave it there, but Jane was still looking at him. 

“Well, we all have dreams, don’t we?” he said. “Mine was to kill Her. I wanted to kill Nessie. Take her home and show the world I had defeated the ultimate evil, or at least the ultimate evil in my mind. I practised endlessly making everything I thought I needed, and when we were on vacation near the loch, I slipped off. Loaded the bombs into the boat for the next day, but didn’t know me folks would take it out for a test early the next morning.”

Tavish shook his head. “Explosives made by a six-year-old aren’t as secure as you might believe.”

“Tavish, I'm sorry.” Jane put a hand on Tavish's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “I didn't know it was like that.”

“Thanks, love.” He really did appreciate Jane listening to him. 

“So, that’s mostly what you wanted to know, aye? Unless you’d like to share a bit about your own traumatic experiences,” Tavish half joked.

Jane grimaced. “Nothing before I went to Germany is important.Not worth talking about, anyway. You know I have no family or friends outside the old BLU team.”

“Aye. Well, we should still do this again sometime,” Tavish promised. No use keeping everything bottled up if he didn’t have to.

* * *

Before long, the previously sparse spare room was overflowing with cat furniture. Tavish knew Jane was taking regular trips to the pet store now, but didn’t mind the clutter. It did mean he was saved finding new figurines.

Mum also seemed to be enjoying her gift, and Tavish almost regretted not getting her anything. But then he would shake his head and remind himself that that would probably only earn him an earful. After the holidays she was happy to see him back at work, despite the rather depressing conditions.

Bring Your Child to Work Day was coming up one of Tavish’s jobs, something that usually wouldn’t bother him. However, despite his attempts to forget it, he couldn’t help but think about volunteering at the hospital, when Jane had asked him all those difficult questions.

When the day came, it was hard to tell himself this wasn’t something he wanted. Ransky Sewage was filled with kids from five to ten, all wearing gas masks far to big for them and toddling around like the plant was the coolest place in the world. Not that their foreman, Randolph, actually let the parents or their younglings anywhere near the actual work areas, but the children seemed ecstatic about their ill-fitting headgear.

“PR nightmare waiting to happen,” Randolph muttered to Tavish when he saw all the kids. Tavish just rolled his eye.

Tavish left the disgruntled foreman to his fate, instead wandering off to the restricted area. Productivity was down for the day since the majority of the staff were occupied, but HR had decided that the public outreach was necessary after the near disaster in January. Tavish shuddered just thinking about that poor dog park.

Strolling up, he noticed that Ortiz, who was completely enthralled with the blueprints in front of her, guarded the quarantined chamber. Ortiz was similar to the children in that her helmet was still too big for her, and the standard issue jumpsuit fell off her in bags. Tavish coughed.

She jumped, dropping her pen in surprise. It took a second for her to relax again until she saw who it was. “Oh, DeGroot. Didn’t see you there.”

“That’s because you’re wearing your goggles in the middle of a dimly lit hallway,” Tavish supplied.

“Oh. Right.” She pushed her goggles up over her helmet and looked at him properly. “I’ve gotta stay here, make sure no one brings kids within a forty-foot radius of Biohazard.”

“I figured as much. Don’t want any of those little buggers falling in and getting superpowers.”

Ortiz laughed. “Yeah, true. They’re damn cute though, despite the trouble.” She gazed off almost longingly down the hallway, to where she knew the kids must be.

“Aye, I have to agree with you on that,” he replied, and kicked himself for letting his voice get soft and sentimental. After a few seconds of watching Ortiz for movement, he coughed again, prompting, “I kinda need to get into Biohazard, if you don’t mind.”

“Right! Sorry!” She jumped out of her chair, and pressed her passcard against the door. Tavish stepped on through, shaking his head and wondering how a woman who had worked here ten plus years had never managed to find a uniform that fit.

Tavish was walking back to the lab when he ran into his boss, Johnson, rushing down the hallway with a young boy in tow. The boy had a gasmask hanging off his face just like the other children.

“DeGroot! Thank god I found someone,” he panted, “There's been a spill on sub-level two, I have to get down there and take care of it.” The portly man did what he could to catch his breath, before pushing the child towards Tavish. “This is my son, Thomas. Just watch him for a while until I get this under control, alright? Thanks!” He didn't wait for Tavish to respond before he went back to running down the hallway toward the elevator.

The boy, Thomas, was about eight, and he watched his father go running off nervously. He then looked up at Tavish, “Hello,” he murmured, hands fiddling with the straps of the mask.

“Er…”

Tavish felt just as awkward being left with a stranger as Thomas. A spill while so many of the company’s hands were occupied couldn’t be anything good, especially not with all the unauthorized little people running around.

“Your Da will be back any minute now. What were you two getting up to today? We can go back to doing that if you like?”

Tavish couldn’t shake how much Thomas looked like a very small Pyro.

Thomas shrugged, pulling the mask up off his face so he could look at Tavish more clearly. “I dunno. Dad showed me his office, and the sep-tic tanks. But they smelled bad.” He scrunched up his nose in disgust. “What do you do?”

“I’m a toxicologist,” Tavish grinned, then wondered if that was too big of a word. “I mix up lots of chemicals to counteract the toxins in the sewage that flows through here.” He cringed- that explanation was even worse. He was trying to entertain the kid, not put him to sleep.

“We could, er, check out the upper lab if you like? It’s not full of any o’ the make-you-sick stuff, so they’ll let us in.” Usually only visiting hire-ups were given a tour of the upper lab, but Thomas could get some special treatment if Tavish didn’t care enough.

“Ok!” Thomas said brightly, “When I grow up I'm gonna work here, but I'm not gonna work where it smells.” He grabbed Tavish's hand, it seemed he was used to being led around that way.

Tavish was surprised at Thomas’s clinging, but not displeased, and found an extra-small lab coat for him to put on before entering Tavish’s main place of work. The room was full of samples and glass tubes, but Tavish double and triple-checked that nothing was out that could harm his new responsibility. He wasn’t used to seeing the lab so dead. This wasn’t back at RED where it was just him and Engie poking at their individual projects; usually, the lab was filled with bustling scientists, all working towards the same goal.

“Here’s the main ingredient we use,” Tavish explained, pulling a bottle off one of the shelves. “Most of what’s coming through is highly acidic, so this is our go-to.”

“What does it do to the acid?” Thomas asked. He was a studious little one. He then climbed up to sit on one of the stools tucked under the lab bench, bringing him a bit closer to Tavish's height.

Tavish opened his mouth for another long-winded explanation, but then thought better of it. “Here, I’ll show you.”

After more poking around, he got another less used bottle from under the sink. “Now, think of this like a much stronger version of what’s running through those pipes. Only this stuff smells good. Here.” He held it out so Thomas could take a whiff of the lemon juice.

Thomas sniffed it, nodding in agreement. “Smells like lemonade,” he informed Tavish, “Are we going to mix them together?” He looked up at Tavish excitedly.

“You got it mate!” It was rare to find someone as excited about chemistry as him, and Tavish found himself glad for the company. “Now, no good demonstration ever happened unless the scientist were safe, aye?”

He handed Thomas a pair of goggles he hoped would fit him better. “Put these on. Don’t want you ending up like me.” Tavish tapped his missing eye.

Thomas put on the goggles. “I thought that was ‘cause you're a pirate.”

“Well I guess I must be a pirate then,” Tavish said. “Just taking a break from sailing the seven seas to help out your Da at his plant, aye?”

Tavish filled a beaker with the first bottle and set the lemon juice aside. “Now, if you wanted to do this at home, you could use baking soda, since you probably have that lying around. But ask your folks before trying anything, alright? I don’t want your Da coming in and telling me you blew up the kitchen.”

He handed Thomas the lemon juice. “Now, pour this in the first one, for two seconds then take a step back. You’ll see why in a minute.”

Thomas nodded seriously, taking Tavish's orders to heart. He stood up on the stool to lean over the table, and started pouring in the juice. “One... two!” Thomas counted out loud, and was picked up by Tavish and pulled away from the beaker, which immediately started spewing foam. “Whoah!” Thomas exclaimed, watching the chemical reaction with wide eyes.

They watched with delight as foam poured over the steel surface, stopping just before the edged. Tavish felt an odd swell of pride as he set Thomas down, watching the boy bounce with delight. Often times he would entertain Pyro when the Engineer wasn’t around with various kitchen experiments, and Thomas’s pure joy awakened a feeling of nostalgia.

The foam stopped just short of the end of the table. “And that’s how we do it. Mind you, it’s a lot more complicated, measuring the pH levels and seeing exactly how much base we need, but if we do it right, we can turn the majority of the stuff into water.”

“Cool!” Thomas exclaimed, “Dad always makes work sound so boring, but that was fun!” He was still bouncing next to Tavish. “Do you know any other cool tricks?” He stared at Tavish, wide eyes magnified under the goggles.

Tavish mirrored his smile. “Boyo, you don’t even know the half of it.”

The next few hours were spent in the lab, Tavish pulling out all the stops when it came to spectacle. He raided the company fridge for whatever he could find, ignoring the little sticky notes that said: “this is Elliot’s!!!”. They made food-coloring designs in milk, which led to more explanations about lipids and polarity. After finding ingredients in the lab’s extensive collections, they made what was simply known as “goo”. Although not flashy, Thomas seemed to love it. A Bunsen burner and some spare note pages helped Tavish show off the invisible ink, and the hot ice was a big hit. Tavish was just demonstrating how gasses expand into their containers when Johnson managed to find them.

“There you are DeGroot! I've been looking all over for you,” Johnson sighed, winded and quite dishevelled from dealing with the near disaster.

“Dad!” Thomas exclaimed, running from their current experiment to grab his dad's jacket. “We did all sorts of science stuff! He showed me how the sewage plant works!”

Johnson grinned at his son's enthusiasm, ruffling his hair with a large palm. “Well well! That sounds like an exciting day.” He turned his attention to Tavish, “Thanks for taking care of my boy, just uh... Make sure you clean up in here alright?” The lab was indeed quite a mess of spilled (but mostly harmless) chemicals.

“Aye, will do, sir. You got a smart lad on your hands, make sure to encourage him.”

Tavish watched Johnson and his son leave the lab, then got to work cleaning up. There were worse ways to spend a day, he decided, though he couldn’t shake a feeling in his chest. It must be because he already missed the little tyke. He shook his head and grabbed some paper towels.

* * *

He got home, and Jane greeted him at the door for once. 

“We are going to have to keep the toilet lids closed now,” Jane said, looking haggard. “The Sarge almost had a bit of an accident.”

Tavish decided it would be best not to ask.

“Well, my day was a lot better than yours,” Tavish admitted. He set his keys on the table, then wondered how best to explain it. “There was a bring your kid to work day, and I was feeling a little put out about it at first. But then my boss saddled me with his kid, and we spent the whole day doing kitchen experiments and having a laugh. It was great.”

“I'm glad you had fun,” Jane said, not sure why Tavish was acting so odd. “You like teaching stuff, don't you?”

“I suppose,” Tavish shrugged. “It’s like... it was like having a co-worker, only someone who’s always looking to get more information, more opinions.” He shrugged again. “I think a lot of adults lose that spark.”

“Hmm,” Jane murmured, tilting his head and giving Tavish a look. His eyes held some level of pity. “Yeah, kids like learning new things, as long as they aren’t boring. Once you grow up, you're sort of set in your ways.”.

“No us though, right?” Tavish patted him on the shoulder. “We should go out and blow up another bar or something, just to prove we aren’t just a couple of stale geezers. I’m in the kaboom mood!”

Jane laughed, “I don't need to blow something up to prove I'm not an old geezer. I would like to, though.” He grinned at Tavish, “You have any ideas?”

“Well…” Tavish considered. It wasn’t like he had any more spare bits of property hanging around at this exact moment, and that might take a little bit of time. “…Valentine’s day is coming up,” he finished cheekily.

“No girly crap!” Jane demanded. God forbid someone think he wanted to sit around and eat chocolate. “It would be fun blowing something up again. I had a great time destroying that bar.”

Tavish smiled at him, turning enough that he could lock his hands behind Jane’s neck. “Alright. It’s a date.”


	8. Chapter 8

Finding abandoned buildings in the middle of desert wasn’t as hard as Tavish predicted. The badlands were full of forgotten things. Even better, his selection was a gas station, something sure to give a grand finale as soon as they were done with it. Despite what Jane had said, Tavish knew he was a romantic at heart, and when the day came, Tavish came home from work with a dozen roses and box of chocolates under his arm.

He found Sarge and Jane on the living room floor, facing away from him. He quickly tucked the flowers behind his back. “And what are you two up to?”

“I'm teaching him tricks.” Jane said, giving the cat one more treat before getting up to greet Tavish. He saw the flowers right way, and his face immediately turned red. “T-Tavish.” He stuttered, walking over and punching him in the arm. “I... I didn't get you anything.”

“Oh, you didn’t?” Tavish asked in mock surprise. “Well that’s disappointing. You know how much I love chocolates with nuts in it. If only someone had thought to get me some o’ those, that would’ve really made me day.” Tavish discreetly slid the box of chocolates into Jane’s hands.

“Damnit... you're such an idiot Tavish.” Jane shoved the chocolates back into Tavish's hands before throwing his arms around Tavish. “Thank you though...”

“As you like. And I also got somethin’ to help the Sergeant look more festive.” Tavish pulled a red ribbon from his pocket and tied it around the kitten’s neck. Sarge looked up and mewed.

Jane was grateful for the attention to be shifted off of him for a moment, and took a minute to grab one of Tilly's vases from the cabinet for the flowers. He returned to the living room after setting the bouquet on the table, and paused in the doorway to watch Tavish, who was playing with the Sarge with a second piece of ribbon.

“So,” Jane started, grabbing Tavish's attention, “In know you have some sort of plan for tonight.”

Letting Sarge catch the string, Tavish looked over his shoulder. “Oh, someone’s gettin’ a little ahead o’ himself,” he said with a wink.

Jane pinked up again. “Stop making fun of me! You're a bastard.” He walked over to Tavish and put his foot on his back, knocking Tavish from his squatting position onto the floor. Tavish's tumble spooked the cat, who skittered out f the room.

“Ah, now look what you’ve done,” Tavish scolded. “Poor little devil.” He rolled over onto his back, and tucked his hands behind his head so he could grin up at jane. “And I’m not a bastard. Would a bastard take his boyfriend out for a wonderful Valentine’s Day to a derelict gas station just four miles south o’ the highway?”

“Oh yes, of course, sounds very romantic.” Jane crouched down. “Doesn't at all sound like the start of a kidnapping.”

* * *

Tavish started up the car as soon as Jane got back, pulling off down the highway. Unlike last time, Jane knew what he was up to, and had trouble containing his excitement. Tavish went over all the explosives he had brought this time, and his detailed plan for demolition.

“The tanks dried up years ago, but that doesn’t mean there isnot residuals still around. If we smash that thing enough, should be the best fireball we’ve seen in a while.”

“Sounds good!” Jane nodded excitedly. He'd been looking forward to this for weeks, and had brought some extra non-explosive supplies. They didn't have time for dinner, so Jane had packed two thermoses of soup and a package of crackers. Something to keep them warm in cool night air.

They pulled up near the station, but didn’t have the safety of a hill like last time. Instead, they parked their car as far as possible and walked until their goal was in sight. Tavish put down the bag he had been carrying.

“I’ve made some improvements on the grenade launcher I used to have at RED,” he said as he pulled the weapon from the bag. “It’s not quite the same without infinite respawn keeping it in good condition, but it should throw ‘em a hundred ‘n fifty percent further. Want to give it the first go?”

Jane looked at the grenade launcher apprehensively. He hadn't been allowed to keep his rocket launcher from BLU, even though he missed it dearly. He didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't comfortable with his ability to use, or aim, with a grenade launcher.

“You can go first.” Jane tried to sound casual, not letting his self-doubt slip. “I can wait my turn.”

Tavish frowned. “Hey, I know it’s not you’re old weapon, but that doesnot mean you cannot give it a shot, right?”When Jane still just frowned, he said, “alright, I’ll give it first go. You’ll see it’s easy after that.”

Loading the launcher up, he flicked open the sights on it. It was a tad fancier than his last one in that sense too, as the aiming module was made from glass. He held his breath as he aimed.

With a light touch at the trigger, the first grenade soared through the air, falling right in the middle of the station’s roof. It didn’t explode on impact, but turned into a KABOOM a few seconds later. He grinned at Jane.

“Three points!”

“NOT three points!” Jane argued, but he was smiling. He couldn't help his mood being lightened by Tavish's idiotic ways. “Gimme that.”

Jane snatched the grenade launcher out of Tavish's hands, Holding the thing a bit awkwardly before he got a proper feel for it. He looked down the sight and tried to calculate where exactly to aim, Tavish would never let him live it down if he made a bad shot. A few more seconds and he made the shot. Jane held his breath, watching the pipe sail through the air towards the gas station. It landed a bit short, but bounced twice and then rolled it's way to the door, shattering the glass in a loud explosion.

“Three points, I created an entryway.” He shoved the launcher back into Tavish's arms.

They passed it back and forth shouting out arbitrary point values all the while. Slowly, the station was devastated under their bloodlust, the two men whooping every time the supports caved in. Eventually, after most of the building had been destroyed, the only thing left was the tanks.

“Alright, see those over there?” Tavish pointed to them. “It’s on the far side, but this baby should be able to reach them. Just hold the trigger for at least eight seconds, and let ‘er loose.”

“I know how to shoot a grenade launcher,” Jane muttered, however true it may be. He lifted the launcher and took aim. By now he could hit anything he aimed at, and held the trigger down for eight seconds just at Tavish said, then let the grenades fly.

Much like when blowing up the bar, Tavish's instructions were spot on. The landed in the tanks with a loud boom, followed by geysers of flames erupting from the small opening. Luckily they were upwind, and didn't end up engulfed by the cloud of black smoke.

“So, dinner?”

Jane opened his bag and handed Tavish a thermos. They sat down on the ground to their dinner of soup and crackers, watching the gas station burn. The heat flowed from the thermos to Jane’s stomach, and he savored the defense against the cold night. For even more warmth, he scooted up against Tavish, and pretended he could feel the station’s flames from here.

“So,” Tavish said, taking a bite of a cracker. “Am I romantic or what?”

“I suppose,” Jane said, taking a sip of soup directly from the thermos. “We still have the rest of the night though... That could really make or break the evening.” He gave Tavish a sly smile, but no more than that, and returned to dunking crackers in his soup.

* * *

They woke up slowly the next morning. Now a days they woke at the same time as each other, one of Tavish’s jobs always getting him out of bed before 8 o’ clock. But thankfully it was a weekend, and they could take all the time they needed.

“Mornin’ Janey,” Tavish told the ceiling, too tired to fumble on the nightstand for his eyepatch. He was so comfortable with Jane now, he never felt the need to wear it at night anymore.

“Mmm,” Jane groaned, rolling over to face Tavish. “Morning...”

The sound of mewling came from across the hallway. “I think your baby wants its breakfast,” Tavish muttered into the top of Jane’s head.

“He's an officer, not a baby.” Jane grumbled, but rolled out of the bed anyway.

Tavish hoped Jane would come back to bed eventually, but should have known better. When he finally got the energy to wake up for the day, he found Jane playing with the kitten, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Whiskers had gotten so big quickly, It was hard for Tavish to come to terms that it’d been two months already. He watched Jane throw a little green mouse, and the Sergeant snatch it up immediately.

“I think I need to get him some new toys soon,” Jane mentioned to Tavish. “He needs something to climb on besides the curtains and the furniture.”

The kitten's hyperactive personality had indeed been disastrous for some of their furniture. He'd quickly grown out of the small cardboard box and needed some proper cat furniture.

“Anything to save me Mum’s drapes,” Tavish agreed. He watched Sarge get distracted with the mouse, only to jump for a plastic ball the skittered from his reach. “Do you mind goin’ alone? I kinda wanted to start making some modifications on the grenade launcher after last night.”

“I don't mind,” Jane said. “That just means you have no input on how much I spend.”

-

Jane went back to the same pet shop he'd gone to the day after Smissmas. It was large, close by, and all around convenient. Not to mention the parking lot was relatively empty that Saturday morning. Although he had a goal in mind, Jane couldn't help but take his time browsing. He still liked looking at the hamsters and rabbits, guinea pigs and birds. Even the snakes and lizards were interesting, if not as soft and cute as he preferred.

He finally made his way to the cat section, when he spotted a woman struggling with a large bag of kitty litter. Not only was the thing probably almost 50 pounds, but the woman was quite obviously pregnant. Jane's gentlemanly instincts kicked in, and he was instantly running over, lifting the bag out of her hands.

“Let me,” he said, depositing the bag into her cart, already filled partway with bags of cat food.

“Oh, thank you!” She tucked a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear, looking flustered. “I really thought I could handle it.”

“It's no problem Miss.” Jane said, shaking his head. “You have cats?” he asked, observing the items in her cart.

“Yes! Three actually,” she laughed. “Anymore and I'll be completely overrun.”

Jane chuckled too, and walked beside her as she pushed her cart through the store.

“I have a cat, his name is Sgt. Whiskers.” Jane dug in his wallet, pulling out the last picture he'd taken with the rented Polaroid camera, showing it off to the woman like a proud parent. “That's him, he's bigger now though.”

“Aww... how adorable! Whiskers is a sweet name.”

“That's 'Sergeant' Whiskers.” Jane clarified.

“I see...” she said with a raise of her eyebrows.

“I'm Jane by the way,” he said, sticking out a hand.

“Oh, I'm Betsy. It's nice to meet you!” They shook hands, and Jane found something strangely familiar about her pale, heart-shaped face.

“Have we... met before? Jane asked, continuing to walk beside her.

“I don't think so,” Betsy responded. “But I do end up all sorts of places. Do you do a lot of volunteering?”

“No... not really,” Jane said sheepishly. “The only volunteering I've really done was at the children's hospital last Halloween.”

“That's it!” she exclaimed, halting the cart. “I remember you! You were dressed up as a robot!” She started laughing.

“Uh... yeah.” Jane still couldn't quite place her.

“I was in charge of the whole thing,” she explained, “I was handing out all of the lists and candy.”

Jane's eyes widened. “Oh yeah! Your hair was shorter!” Indeed, the short bob had since grown out to her shoulders.

“True! It's nice running into you Jane.”

“Yeah!”

The two got along like old friends, chatting about the hospital and their pets as they wandered through the store. When Jane mentioned he was looking for cat furniture, Betsy had all sorts of advice for him.

“See this one? It looks fancy, but the manufacturer used cheap materials, it won't last long. These ones are too small for a cat to get a proper workout... If you want the best quality, and don’t mind assembling it yourself, I'd suggest one of these ones...”

Jane took her advice, and ended up sharing her cart. He picked up a few extra toys along the way, and then they were headed to the checkout.

“You want me to help you get these into your car?” Jane asked, still concerned about Betsy's well being.

“Actually that would be very helpful.” She sighed. “I don't want to put you out or anything though.”

“No, no! It's not a problem. I'm happy to help out anyone in need.”

The each paid for their stuff, and then once again shared the cart out into the parking lot.

“This one's mine.” Betsy motioned at a white compact car. She unlocked the trunk and then Jane went to work piling the litter and food into the trunk.

“Is there someone to help you get this into your house?” Jane asked, “You really shouldn't be lifting stuff like this... in your condition.”

“Don't worry about it.” Betsy waved off his concern, “It's only a few feet to my house from the garage, I can manage it.”

“Alright” Jane said, not wanting to press the issue.

“Well, I'll see you around Jane.” Betsy waved, opening the door to her car.

Jane watched, fidgeting with his hands. Betsy was nice, fun to talk to. They both liked cats. Jane didn't want her to just leave.

“Wait!” He yelled, startling her. “Do you... want to come over for dinner tonight? I cook.”

She stared at him with wide eyes, looking suddenly uncomfortable.

“Jane... I'm not exactly sure that's a good idea.”

Jane suddenly realized what that had sounded like.

“I... I didn't mean it like a date! God I... My... roommate... and his mom will be there! That's not at all what I meant.”

Jane's sudden, intense panic seemed sincere enough, and Betsy's expression softened.

“Oh! Alright, I'm sorry for assuming.” She chuckled lightly at Jane's wide-eyed expression. “That... actually sounds really nice.”

“Really?” Jane clarified, looking half-stunned. “Yeah... Do you have a paper? I'll give you our address. And don't worry about bringing anything, I always cook way too much.”

Betsy pulled a small notebook and pen from her purse, handing it to Jane who wrote down the address and time.

“Alright Mr. Jane, I'll see you at six.” She read from the note, giving him a smile before finally getting in her car.

Jane too finally entered his car, with the unassembled cat tree tucked safely in the trunk. As he drove home he berated himself for sounding like such an idiot, and making it sound like he wanted to ask her on a date. She just seemed nice, Jane hadn't made any knew friends since moving in with Tavish, maybe she could be a start?

He realized then too that he had to think of something good to make for dinner, something proper and fancy enough for guests. He'd have to ask Tavish for advice, Jane knew nothing about hosting a dinner for people outside of their family.

Jane was so tied up in his thoughts that he forgot the cat stuff in his car when he got home. Immediately rushing inside and up to Tavish's lab.

“Tavish!” Jane yelled, bursting into the room. “We are hosting a guest for dinner and I don't know what to do!”

“We’re what?” Tavish asked, setting aside the launcher. “Is it those ladies from the bridge club again? Jesus, I’m goin’to need a stiff drink to get through tonight…”

“No! I...” Jane paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. “You remember the children's hospital? There was a woman running the whole thing? Well her name is Betsy, and she has cats, and I invited her over for dinner.”

Tavish felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He opened and closed his mouth a few times.

“Oh. Well, that’s…nice.” He felt nervous for some reason, but tried not to let it show in his voice. “And, er, what exactly did you tell her? About me ‘n Mum?” The last thing he wanted was a stranger coming over and being surprised by their rather unusual living situations.

“Um.. You are my roommate,” Jane said nervously, hoping it was a decent enough excuse. “Or I guess I'm your roommate. Something like that.” He shrugged.

Tavish pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn’t too bad, just the sort of thing Tavish would say if they asked to elaborate on this “friend” he always talked about. But someone coming over and trying to justify it? It’d be hard to explain away.

“And what about Mum, what’d you say about her?” Tavish pressed. “If this hospital woman comes here, she’s goin’ to wonder why we’re roommates if not for rent reasons.”

“I didn't explain your mom, she's just your mom.” Jane said, rolling his eyes. “She's really polite, she won't ask questions.” Jane walked further into the lab now, peering over Tavish's shoulder. “So stop worrying and tell me what I should cook.”

Tavish’s shoulder’s slouched. Jane was right, he was worrying to much, just like he always did. “How about some corned beef? Still have some o’ that in the ice box?”

“Yeah... yeah that's a good idea.” Jane sighed, suddenly feeling more relaxed. “Corned beef…”

Tavish shook his head, still slightly flabbergasted. “Leave it to you to go shoppin’ for furniture and come back with a person…”

“It's not like I put her in the trunk,” Jane grumbled. “You’re getting hung up on the wrong parts of this. It's good to have guests, and stop being a hermit all the time. No one other than the three of us has set foot in this house except Tilly's friends since I fired the maid.”

Tavish frowned at that. Jane had a point; even the people at work he considered to be his friends weren’t the kind he would invite for dinner. Having a close-knit family lessened the burden he supposed, but to go from having eight friends he depended on to practically none was saddening now that he thought about it.

“I dunno,” he shrugged. “It’s not like I dunnot want us to go out and have a few lads to booze with but…”

“That would be nice too, but this is a proper lady we are talking about,” Jane scolded. “I don't want you acting like a drunken idiot when she's around.”

“Oh a proper lady is she now? Are you forgetting the fact that we live in a mansion? I’m a bloody prince! What makes you think I’m less likely to be a gentleman than you?”

“Experience.” Jane shot back, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at said 'prince'.

Tavish snorted. “Fine. I’ll not drink this evening. Happy? I’ll not chase away your lady-friend just because I had a little bit o’ whisky.”

“She's not my 'lady friend', she a.... lady... who's a friend,” Jane finished awkwardly. “Look...I'm just nervous.”

Tavish patted Jane on the shoulder. “Hey, I can see this is important to you, I promise not to mess it up. I’ll be such a good host, by the end o’ the night she’ll be begging to be your friend.”

* * *

“What time is it?” Jane asked nervously, now fretting over the food. “I told her to be here by six... Do I have enough time to make a dessert? And where is Mum, she should be home by now...”

“It’s a quarter to four, you’ve time to make desert, and Mum’s probably out with Helen Baker,” Tavish listed off unconcerned. “She’ll be home before then Jane, don’t worry. She never misses an opportunity on your cooking.” Tavish moved the feather toy, making Sgt. Whiskers leap.

“Alright...” Jane said hesitantly, still not sure about the time. Wandering over to the cupboard he grabbed some flour, hoping to make a simple lemon cake.

Tilly arrived home around five, wandering into the kitchen as she followed the smell of good food.

“Evenin’ Mum,” Tavish said from the table he and Sarge had migrated to. “You out with Helen?”

“No, Eustace from down the street,” she said, setting her purse on the china cabinet. “Now why is that cat on the table? And why is Jane cookin’ like he’s tryin’ to tear down the walls o’ Jericho?”

“We have company coming over,” Jane explained, grabbing the cat off the table. “I'm just trying to make sure everything is perfect.” The food was long since in the over, but Jane liked staying in the kitchen to 'supervise'.

“Company, eh?” Mum said, taking a whiff out of the oven. “What sort o’ company?”

“Jane met someone at the pet store,” Tavish explained. “Some lady we met once at the hospital.”

“Huh,” Mum scoffed as she closed the oven door. “One o’ those ‘charitable’ types then, is she? If you want me advice, you’ll stay away from that sort. No good comes from those who wander around, givin’ away their god-given abilities for free.”

“She's a good person.” Jane didn't bother arguing any more than that, he knew it would get them nowhere. Tilly ended up sitting at the table with them as well.

Despite Jane's worries, the food was done long before six and was left in the oven to keep warm. When six o'clock did finally roll around, the chime of the mansion's doorbell went off.

“I'll get it!” Jane yelled, bolting from his chair to the doorway. At the door he collected himself, then swung the door open to greet his guest.

“Hello,” Betsy said shyly, eyes wide as she got her first glance of the inside of the mansion

“Hi! Welcome!” Jane grinned, opening the door wide and inviting her inside.

“I know you said not to bring anything... but I brought a bottle of wine, I hope that's all right?”

“It's wonderful.” Jane said, taking the gift. “Come on, everyone is in the kitchen.”

Leading her into the other room, he started introductions.

“Tavish, m... Tilly,” He corrected himself, “This is Betsy. Betsy, this is Tavish, and this is Tilly.”

Betsy smiled gently. “Nice to meet you.”

“Actually, we’ve met once before,” Tavish corrected. “I was with Jane at the hospital.” When Betsy only made a confused face, he continued, “I was the one dressed as a werewolf?”

An unladylike snort erupted from Betsy. “Oh! Oh yes... the werewolf. It was.... a wonderful costume. It's still nice to meet you again.” She walked over to shake his hand.

He took it, remembering his promise to be as gentlemanly as possible. He then gestured to his mother. “This is me Mum. We’re all pleased to have you in our home.”

Mum didn’t hold out her hand to shake, but gave the distinct impression she was looking Betsy up and down (however impossible that might be.)

“Nice to meet you too,” Betsy said politely.

Suddenly Jane popped up beside her. “Take a seat, anywhere will do. The food is ready, I just have to go get it.”

Betsy nodded, taking a seat near Tilly while Jane ran off to gather the food.

“So,” Tilly asked stiffly, “you two ran into each other at the pet store?”

“Mum…” Tavish warned tersely. He didn’t want his mother scaring Jane’s new friend off so soon.

Betsy smiled patiently. “Yes, I was buying food and litter for my cats. Jane saw me struggling with the weight of it and offered to help. Of course we technically met last Halloween.”

“Huh. Cannot even carry her own groceries,” Tilly huffed, just loud enough for Betsy to hear.

“Mum, she’s pregnant,” Tavish snapped. He then smiled apologetically at Betsy. “Excuse her, she’s just looking for a fight.”

“I’m lookin’ for nothin’!” Mum replied, only to be interrupted as Jane put down the food.

“It's no worry,” Betsy placated, grabbing a napkin to place on her lap. “I'm grateful to be welcomed into your home.”

“You don't have to humor her Betsy, she's all bark no bite,” Jane said, nudging Tilly purposefully as he went to his seat.

Mrs. DeGroot took the critique, and stayed mostly quiet for the meal. Tavish started asking questions about Betsy, mainly her volunteering work since that was the majority of what he knew about her.

“So do you help out at the hospital year ‘round?” he asked, taking a bite of corned beef.

“Sort of,” Betsy explained, “I organize the holiday events, but they generally need more medically-oriented folks on a day-today basis. Usually I volunteer at retirement homes and homeless shelters.” She shrugged modestly, “It's a fun treat to work with the kids though.”

“I know what you mean,” Tavish said over his fork. “We just had a Bring Your Kid to Work Day at my plant, and it was great to see all the wee ones running around. This one, my boss’s kid, ended up really interested in some o’ the lab work. We spent almost the whole day making fake volcanoes and the like.”

“That's adorable!” Betsy exclaimed, “I love kids, not just the ones at the hospital, I babysit my nieces and nephews sometimes too. It really energizes you, kids are just so full of life.”

“I wish I had some nieces or nephews,” put in abruptly.

“Well unless you have some sibling’s I don’t know about, I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon,” Tavish joked. He turned to Betsy and said, “but I know what he means. We do kinda live in the old folks district. No real youth anywhere around here.”

“Watch your tongue ‘bout ‘old folks’ Tavish Finnegan,” Mum put in tersely.

“This is hardly even an neighborhood, the next house is a mile away,” Jane added.

Betsy gave them a sad look. “It can be difficult when you don't have any relatives with kids, but if you are ever interested in volunteering at the hospital again, we'll be doing an egg-hunt this Easter.”

“That sounds brilliant,” Tavish put in before his mother could speak. “We’d love to, right Jane?”

“Of course!” Jane exclaimed. He loved the idea of spending time with the kids again.

“Well I look forward to that then,” Betsy replied.

When the group finally started digging in to dinner, Betsy gave Jane all the compliments she could between mouthfuls of food. Apparently she wasn't the best cook herself, and having such a lavish meal was a treat. Tavish made sure to compliment him too, wanting to make him look good in front of his friend. They chatted happily, Mum eventually warming up to their guest’s charms. She couldn’t stay mad forever after all, and Tavish wasn’t surprised when Mum asked Betsy about what sort of job she had.

Jane glared at her, but that didn't stop Betsy from willingly telling her anyway.

“I'm an executive assistant in an office downtown.” She shrugged, “It's a good job, I like it. It pays the bills anyway.”

Mum seemed satisfied enough that didn’t spend all her time doing charity work.

“I work down at the sewage plant,” Tavish explained. “Before that, I worked for a demolition company. That’s where Jane and I met.”

It was a pretty good cover story in Tavish’s opinion, mainly because it was true in part. So long as Jane was right and their guest didn’t ask any questions, there wasn’t any reason for her not to believe them.

“Oh wow, that's really interesting!” Betsy said, not sensing that he was masking the real truth. “And you Tilly? What types of things interest you?” She was much more interested in turning the prying questions back on her.

“Ain’t you a nosey one,” Tilly grumbled. “And that’s ‘Mrs. DeGroot’ to you, lassie.”

“Mum ,” Tavish warned.

Mrs. DeGroot sighed.“Fine, since you asked. I run a garden out back, make home remedies for some o’ the neighbors.”

“Aye, Jane just got her some new gloves for Christmas,” Tavish said, hoping to keep the conversation on a safe topic.

“That sounds wonderful.” Betsy sighed. “I myself can't keep a plant alive for more than a few days, my poor garden is overrun with weeds.”

Mrs. DeGroot didn’t like hearing about plants suffering. She started probing Betsy about her garden, wanting to know exactly where she was going wrong. While that went on, it didn't take long to get the table re-set and the slices of lemon cake dished out. It was sweet, with just a bit of a sour tang. Tavish tried to tell Jane that the lemon cake was delicious, but the two women weren’t even paying attention anymore.

“I knew she’d warm up,” Tavish whispered conspiratorially to Jane.

“Yeah,” Jane said happily, being careful not to speak too loud. “I'm glad everything turned out ok.”

As they finished their cake Tilly continued pestering Betsy, who was starting to look a little guilty about neglecting her plants. Soon Betsy had pulled out her notebook and was jotting down the names of some low-maintenance shrubs and flowers suggested by Tilly.

To everyone’s surprise, most of all Tilly’s, the night seemed to be over too quickly. The three housemates walked Betsy to the door, Mrs. DeGroot needling her all the while. The younger woman didn’t seem to mind, and accepted the copious amounts of advice with grace.

“Alright Mum,” Tavish said as Jane opened the door, “you’ve named just about every plant that can grow in a semi-arid climate. It’s time for her to be off now.” He looked up at Betsy. “It was wonderful to have you for dinner Miss.”

“Bye Betsy!” Jane barked from beside Tavish.

“Thanks for inviting me Jane, Tavish, Mrs. DeGroot. I hope to see you all again soon.”

They finished their goodbyes, and then watched Betsy drive out onto the road before closing the front door.

“Well that went well,” Tavish commented, sitting down and giving Sarge a scratch behind the ears. “In fact, I think even Mum enjoyed herself,” he said, flashing his mother a grin.

Mum scoffed. “Well I did as you said. As long as the girl listens, I have no problem with her.”

“You make it sound like you expect her to be back.”

“Dunnot you? Jane was practically beside himself.”

“I hope so,” Jane said, scratching behind Sgt. Whiskers' ears, “I like her.”

Jane and Tavsh readjusted themselves so they sat side-by-side, the cat stretched across their laps and looking very pleased with itself.

“Well, I’m glad you do. Even if she cannot tell a pea-plant from a petunia.”

The two shared a knowing smile as Mum bustled out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

The biohazard suit exuded an awful squelching sound as Tavish made his way through the green tunnels. He wasn’t sure why the hell upper management had decided to light the underbelly of the plant with the creepiest lighting possible, but he tended not to question weird things his employers did. Being oblivious had saved his life on more than one occasion.

Tavish walked up to the series of valves and began his inspection. The newest formula the labs had been putting out claimed to neutralize 11% faster, and management wanted proof that the thing was working. Tavish thought 11% was ridiculous, and they’d be lucky to get 5, but he wasn’t one to take the blame off those deserving. If it worked as well as they said, nothing would come of it. If it didn’t-

“Hey! Need some help?”

Tavish nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice beside him. It didn’t help that it was on his blind side, so he hadn’t seen Ortiz sneak up.

“Ach! Jesus!” he yelped, hopping a little to the right.

“Oooo, Sorry! I didn’t mean to spook you.” The biohazard suit fit her even worse than her regular uniform, as impossible as that seemed. “I was just on patrol and saw you fiddling with the valves. Thought you could use some expertise.”

Tavish’s frown was hidden by his own mask. Like he would be allowed down here if he didn’t know what he was doing. “I’m good, thanks,” he said a bit stiffly. “And what do you mean ‘on patrol’? It’s not like you’re the sewer guard or something’”

Ortiz laughed a little too loudly in the echoing chamber. It made Tavish want to take another step back.

Ortiz realized she being awkward, and quieted down immediately. Tavish couldn’t see her face but he was pretty sure she was embarrassed as hell. “Ha. No, just uh, out and about.” There was a moment of silence between them. “So I heard you guys made a breakthrough last week. Pretty cool stuff.”

“Listen Ortiz, I’d love to chat and all, but I’d really like to get this done so I can go on my lunch break.”

Instead of scampering off, she brightened. “Oh cool, me too! You want to head over to Porkaline?”

“No, sorry, I’m meeting with Henry Johnson to go over my findings.”

When her shoulders slouched in the most dramatic fashion possible, Tavish put the pieces together. As he watched her wave goodbye and slink off, he allowed himself a small chuckle. Somebody had a little crush.

* * *

Tavish almost forgot about the whole thing until he sat down for dinner that night. Mum was out with friends, but that didn’t stop Jane from making another one of his fantastic meals.

“I sure had an eventful time down in the sewers today,” Tavish said over a forkful of lasagna.

“Really, is that even possible?” Jane snorted, giving Tavish a look. “I mean, it's a sewer. Even at Teufort they were boring, but at least they were clean.”

“Ah, what I wouldn’t give to work in those ones instead. ‘Slightly green water’ is a lot better than the stuff I have to sift through now. But it wasn’t the place itself that made the moment, but who’s been following me down there.”

Jane's eyes bugged out, and he dropped the fork he was holding, “An alligator?! Did you wrestle an alligator in the sewers?!” As Tavish laughed himself to pieces, Jane realized his mistake.“Of course it wasn't alligator wrestling, you don't do anything fun anymore. You're too old.” He scowled, stuffing a bite of food in his mouth.

“Oh, I’m old am I? I can hear you cracking your creaky old back every morning, don’t try to deny it. And, “ Tavish continued, “you’ve been taking naps in the middle of the day. Mum ratted on you.”

“Mum doesn't know what she's talking about!” Jane scoffed, continuing to stuff his face. “I relax on the couch after lunch sometimes, but that's not a nap.” Tavish just gave him a look Jane decided to ignore. “So, what did you find in the sewers?”

“Ah. Actually, she found me. Apparently I have a secret admirer.”

“Really? You sound sure of yourself.” Jane snorted. “I'm sure you must be attractive, knee deep in sewage.” He rolled his eyes. It seemed like the type of thing Tavish would make up on a whim while trying to convince Jane how not-old he still is.

“I must be, if she’s still chasing me after seeing me like that,” Tavish said with a laugh. “But I think she’s been pining for me for a while now. Poor thing must have it bad if not even the least-romantic place on earth deters her.” Tavish took another bit of lasagna. “It’s a shame really. I can’t even tell her I’m already taken without falling into a whole web of lies.”

“Yeah, that's true.” Jane frowned. Tavish couldn't tell anyone he was already in a relationship without the risk of someone finding out about them. It hadn't really bothered Jane before, because there was no one to tell, but now it tugged at his heart a little bit.

“Well, you are pretty lovable Tavish, I'd know.” Jane smiled softly.

“I’m glad you think so. Ortiz certainly does,” Tavish laughed. He then remembered why he was down there in the first place, and went off on a tangent about molecular concentration and how Johnson needs to learn how to do examinations himself. Jane zoned out as soon as the conversation got more technical, not understanding a word. Tavish's words were kind of bothering him though. Did he really have to bring up this woman? Especially after Jane had tried to change the subject? He knew he shouldn't be worried, and he wasn't but he couldn't help but feel annoyed about Tavish's smugness.

He sighed, trying to clear it from his mind, listening to Tavish raving about his chemical work instead.

A few days after the Crazy Random Happenstance in the sewer, and Ortiz still hadn’t shown up again. Tavish wondered if he’d been too rude to her- despite not being interested, she was a sweet girl and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. He needn’t have worried. She asked him for lunch the next week and he politely accepted, but had them sit in the company cafeteria so she wouldn’t get any ideas.

He knew Jane would be alright with it. Despite the occasional joke, neither of them would ever stray, he was certain of that. Besides, they needed a little amusement in their life every once in a while.

Tavish planned on telling Jane about it when he nearly stepped on a letter as he came inside. He picked it up to examine it.

“Jane! There’s some mail for you!”

“For me?” Jane asked, walking down the stairs with Sgt. Whiskers draped over his shoulder.

Tavish nodded, handing him the letter and then heading upstairs to get changed.

Jane flipped the letter over in his hand, inspecting it. Jane never got mail, but when he checked the return address, it made sense. It was from Betsy, who knew his address and first name, but nothing else.

He ripped open the letter, and read through it as quickly as he could manage. Betsy had invited him over for lunch on Friday, and she had included her own address and phone number for Jane to call. His eyes brightened- if she was inviting him over then it meant that the dinner had been a success.

He decided to call her immediately and dialed the number with precision, then listened to it ring three times before he heard her voice on the other end.

“Hullo?”

“Betsy! It's Jane, I got your letter.” His enthusiasm bothered the Sarge, who squirmed off his shoulders and padded out of the room.

“Oh great! I wasn't sure how else to contact you.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“No, no, don't apologies,” she tutted. “Just tell me your number and I'll write it down.”

Jane recited their telephone number for her, which she repeated back to check.

“So can you come over this Friday? I can't really cook, but I can order something in. I want to repay you for having me over,” Betsy said.

“You don't need to repay me, but I'd like to come over. Can I meet your cats?

Betsy laughed, “Of course, Jane, I'm sure they'd love to meet you.”

They talked for a few more minutes before deciding on a time for Jane to arrive, and then said their goodbyes. Tavish was coming back down the stairs by the time Jane was handing up.

“Hey, Tavish, I'm going to see Betsy on Friday!” he announced brightly.

“That’s great to hear Jane,” Tavish said. He knew that making his first friend since leaving BLU was important to Jane, and was glad it was a success. “I guessed that’s who it was from. Where are you two going to go?”

“Just to her house... I'm going to meet her cats.” Jane grinned, looking a bit too excited. “Not that they are better than Sgt. Whiskers, but I am sure they are still good.”

“Alright, love, have fun. But if her husband gives you any trouble you skedaddle on out of there, aye? Don’t need any civilian casualties drawing attention here.”

Tavish was sure Betsy would have told her husband Jane was just a friend, but he wanted to be safe anyways. People could be irrational, no one knew better than him.

“Tch, I could take him. But for your sake, I'd back down.” Jane shrugged. “Anything interesting happen at work today?” He asked offhandedly.

“Yes, actually, I was going to tell you.” Tavish leaned against the kitchen counter. “Ortiz is finally talking to me again. We had lunch together today, but I’m not really sure how to let her down easy. For now, I’m pretending I don’t notice.”

“I suppose that's all you can do,” Jane shrugged, kind of annoyed he was bringing her up again. “Anything else though? Any... science stuff?”

“Nothing I haven’t already told you. Though Ortiz was telling me her division is planning on tearing out a lot of the old piping on the east side of the city. Which, if you ask me is complete blarney…” Tavish launched into a detailed account of exactly his opinions on the rumored project.

More Ortiz. Jane restrained from rolling his eyes. Once Tavish got into his opinions about the project, she faded from discussion, but it still rubbed Jane the wrong way. Oh, well. He had a visit with his own outside friend to look forward to.

* * *

Leading Ortiz on turned out to be a bad idea. At first, it was fine, Tavish pretended not to notice her obvious heart eyes and life continued on as normal. She wasn’t even really making a move per say, just was so head-over-heels that it all sort of spilled out.

In the end, Tavish learned a valuable lesson in yanking people around.

The words “we’re going out for drinks later” have a peculiar on Tavish Finnegan DeGroot; no matter what predicates that sentence, he will always, one hundred percent of the time, agree to it. Unfortunately, the ‘we’ in question did not show for the supposed meet-up at the bar next to Porkaline’s, and Tavish started to wonder if Ortiz had even invited them in the first place.

Either way, he’d backed himself into a corner.

“And Mami said ‘four peacocks? Well, that’s just five peacocks too many!’” Ortiz laughed at her own joke, slamming down her drink as she did so. Tavish chuckled along, though he was a bit nervous about the woman’s increasing inebriation.

Ortiz tapped her hand against the bar to get the bartender’s attention. She demanded something in Spanish and he growled back, and the conversation bounced between them like a tennis match. Tavish looked on in bewilderment, the bartender eventually disappearing with a huff.

“Friend of yours?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Mortal enemy.”

“Ah.”

Anything more he would have said was interrupted by the bartender’s return, who slammed down a dusty bottle and walked off. Ortiz opened it gleefully.

“You sure you should be starting another one, lassie?” Tavish asked over his slowly imbibed whiskey. “It’s only seven of clock.”

“You don’t get to tell me when to stop drinking,” she said, trying to point a finger at him but instead aiming it at the man three seats down. “I’ve been matching you drink for drink!”

“Is that what you’re doing?” he chuckled. “Ortiz, I got liver made of pure titanium. I’m more well versed in the art of alcoholism than the rest of this bar combined.”

“That’s tough talk,” she accused. “I can keep going all night if it means I beat-”

On the word you, Ortiz attempted to point at Tavish once again, but slipped sideways on her bar stool. Tavish caught her on the way down, but by the time she was upright again her face had gone all cross-eyed.

“I… think it’s time I went home.”

“That’s a good idea, mate.”

Tavish helped her get to her feet, but she was able to walk under her own power once she got a bit more balanced. She swiped her bottle off the counter and yelled something at the bartender without turning around. In English, he yelled, “fuck off!”

Once they made it to the street, Tavish asked her, “do you need a ride home?”

“Nah, I’m good. I can walk to my apartment from here, that’s why I come here so much. Thanks for the concern, though.”

She lifted her bottle in a salute. But before she could begin walking home, her face contorted in pain. Tavish hoped she wasn’t about to throw up.

“You’re… a real nice guy.”

Oh no, Tavish thought briefly. That’s much worse.

“Like… real nice. You’re just smart and all that and… just… a good guy. I think you’re the best.” Her eyes were still unfocused but her speech wasn’t slurred. She was definitely going to remember whatever Tavish said to her now.

Trying to resist the urge to sprint away, he gave her a wry smile. “Thanks, Ortiz. I think you’re great too. You’re a dear friend.”

The flicker of disappointment on her face wasn’t missed, especially since Tavish was looking for it. She hid it quickly, and overly cheery smile replacing it. “Yup, that’s me! Dear friend. Look at us, just a couple of buds.” She punched him lightly in the arm.

Tavish was saved having to dignify a response as Ortiz turned and started her walk home. He got the feeling she wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible. He called after her, saying he’d see her on Monday, and she raised her drink in farewell. Tavish was left standing on the street corner, wondering what the hell he’d gotten himself into.

* * *

It wasn't long before Friday rolled around, but for Jane it felt like an eternity. Either way, he was out in the car by eleven, driving to Betsy's house. She didn't live that far, also outside the city limits much like the DeGroot mansion, but Jane wanted to leave time in case he got lost. Which he did.

Jane had a bad habit of misreading road signs and taking turns too late. It was an area he'd never been in before, and ended up at the same dead-end road backing onto a field full of horses about three times.

After about thirty minutes of driving in circles he finally found her place. It was the only house on the winding dirt road, a small bungalow, old but well-kempt. He could see her front garden, full of dead plants and weeds, just how she’d described it.

He parked in front of the house, which was mostly a dirt lot, then jogged up and jabbed the doorbell. He could hear the echo of the chime inside the house, and then the sound of someone running across a hardwood floor.

“Jane!” Betsy called as she pulled open the door for him, “Come in, come in.”

As Jane stepped inside and closed the door behind him, he was immediately greeted by a cat trotting up and sniffing at his boots. It was an orange tabby, and Jane squatted down to pet it's short fur.

“That's Chloe,” Betsy interrupted. “She's probably the friendliest- the other two are off hiding somewhere, I'm sure.”

“Hello, Chloe,” Jane murmured, scratching under her chin and then around the scruff of her neck.

“I'll find the other two for you later, would you like something to drink? Coffee?”

“Coffee is good,” Jane replied.

The kitchen was immediately to his left, and when Betsy walked inside Chloe dashed after her. Jane followed as well. The kitchen was done in a country style, looking a bit dated but clean. He sat down at a small metal-framed table that had a bit of rust on the seams.

“So how is Sgt. Whiskers doing? Still causing trouble?” Betsy asked, leaning against the counter as the coffee maker did its thing.

"He'd getting better, we don't have to keep him locked up at night anymore, but he's started chewing up Tavish's housecoats. I've been hiding them so he doesn't notice,” Jane admitted.

“Jane... that's not very nice,” Betsy said, but had trouble keeping a straight face.

"I know,” Jane said sheepishly. “He's down to his last one. He'll notice soon.”

Betsy looked like she was going to say something, but decided better of it.

The coffee was ready in just a few minutes. Betsy pulled out a mug for Jane, and deposited it along with sugar and cream on the table in front of him. Jane snuck in two spoons of sugar while Betsy was busy getting herself a class of juice.

“So, have you gotten him fixed yet?” Betsy asked when returning to the table with her drink. “He'd got to be around that age now right?”

“Fixed? You don't mean...” Jane made a scissor motion with his fingers.

Betsy laughed, “Yes Jane, snip snip.”

“I'm not cutting off the little soldier's testicles! He needs those, for being a man!” Jane insisted.

Betsy just shook her head. “Jane, It's a part of responsible pet ownership. There are too many stray kittens caused by animals running off and breeding.”

“He'd an inside cat,” Jane stressed.

“They can still end up escaping. Do you really wanting him pining for a lady friend his whole life?”

“No, but I don't want to chop his bits off either! You can't just let that happen to another man.”

“Jane...” Betsy sighed, “I know he means a lot to you, but he's not a man, he's an animal. He doesn't know any better than to go off and have a bunch of kittens, and he won’t know any better if you fix him either.” Betsy could tell Jane still wasn't quite convinced, so she decided to appeal to his sense of decency. “You don't want him to be a deadbeat dad to a bunch of kittens do you? A bunch of poor kittens brought into this world just to be strays.”

“Ok! Ok,” Jane grumbled, “you've convinced me. I just won't tell him. He doesn't have to know.”

“That's fine, Jane.”

They talked a bit longer, mostly about vets. Jane hadn't taken Sarge to one since getting him, so Betsy suggested her vet, then told Jane what to look for in a vet office in general. He was eager to absorb all the experienced pet-owner knowledge she could give him.

At noon they ordered pizza, which Betsy was fine with eating in the living room. Jane was surprised, mostly because her house was very clean, he didn't expect her to be an eat anywhere but the kitchen kind of person. From what he'd seen the whole house was clean, and also very tidy. There was no junk (or 'heirlooms') lying about and cluttering up space. Just a few photos on the wall and a vase on the table. Jane supposed she didn't seem like the type to put too much value on worldly possessions. Much like he had been before Tavish convinced him to become some sort of cat-trinket hoarder. The closest thing she had to clutter were two bookshelves on either side of her small TV, stuffed so full with books that she had ones that didn't fit laying sideways on top of others.

“Mrow?”

Jane was interrupted from his train of thought as a different cat padded into the room. This one was a calico, its fur a bit longer than Chloe's had been.

“Oh! There's Pumpkin! She must have been sleeping in my room. She's a bit skittish, so don't be offended if you can't pet her.

“Hi Pumpkin,” Jane waved, greeting her as he did every animal he met. She stared at him with big round eyes, then slinked across the room and behind the couch, out of sight.

“Don't be offended Jane, she's just like that.”

They finished their food and continued talking. Chloe returned soon enough, sitting next to Betsy for a few minutes before going to check out the 'new visitor' again. Jane ended up with a lapful of orange cat for the next few hours.

Jane ended up staying all afternoon, and at some point he realized something was missing.

“So Betsy, when does your husband come home? I wanted to meet him.” The question was said absently, but when Betsy didn't respond right away his brows furrowed.

“I don't have a husband Jane,” Betsy sighed, with the tone of someone who had heard this a million times before.

“Oh.” Jane said. This poor woman, all alo-

“It's not what you're thinking either,” she scolded. “Everyone always does, thinks I must have gotten knocked up and the dad didn't stay, It's not like that at all.” She sighed, rubbing her face.

“I hate having to explain this, but it's not your fault for not knowing. I didn't mean to sound irritated.” She cleared her throat, and Jane readied himself to hear what she had to say. “This baby isn't mine. I'm a surrogate. Do you know what a surrogate is?”

Jane shook his head.

“Well, when a couple wants to have a baby, but for some reason the woman's uterus just... doesn't work right for growing a baby, they can combine the sperm and egg outside of the body, and then put it in the surrogate to grow. The baby isn't genetically related to me or anything, I just let it grow in me until it's born, then it goes back to its parents.”

Jane blinked, trying to process the information. “That's impossible,” he said slowly.

“It's not! The technology has been around in Australia for years, and recently some Australian doctors opened up clinic here in the United States. It's still uncommon, and very expensive, but definitely real.”

“But...” Jane tilted his head. “Ok. So this technology works, but why? Why do you do it? Isn't childbirth supposed to be painful? Why would you do that if you don't even get to keep the baby in the end?”

“Well, it's complicated,” Betsy started. “I don't want kids, personally. It's just not the life I want. So I don't feel bad about giving them back to their families that love and want them. But I did surrogacy in the first place for my sister.”

Jane blinked.

“She could never have kids. You know my nieces and nephews I told you about? Well, I gave birth to them. I did it so my sister could have the family she always wanted.”

Jane nodded. “But why are you still doing it?”

“Well, I know most women wouldn't, but I kind of enjoy it. Sure, pregnancy is a pain, but It's also a wonderful feeling, knowing you are growing a life inside you. It's something totally unique... and it just makes me happy, knowing I'm making someone's dreams of a family come true.” And with that she just shrugged.

“You really are a saint,” Jane said bluntly.

She laughed at that. “You’re sweet, Jane. Thank you.”

They talked some more, and eventually Betsy dragged out the last cat for Jane to meet. She was grey and speckled, named “Sunshine” In some sort of irony related to her grumpy personality. Jane tried to pet her, but received a scratch for it. Betsy apologized profusely, but it didn't bother Jane at all. She still insisted on disinfecting the scratch before letting him leave, though.

And just like that, their day was over. Jane hadn't planned on staying so late, but Betsy promised it was no problem. They both agreed it was worth doing again.

Betsy waved goodbye from her living room window as Jane pulled out of the driveway. It had been a good day, and Jane felt relieved he hadn't done anything too stupid. Her cats were nice, and he'd learned quite a bit more about her, even if it still fit into the 'perfect woman who has done nothing wrong in her life' category.

He wondered if this was information he should share with Tavish. It was private information, but he didn't want Tavish asking the same stupid question he had if they were to meet up again, and it's not like he was going to lie if Tavish asked if he met her husband.

When Jane arrived home, though, he was surprised to find that Tavish wasn't there. It was almost seven, and Tavish usually came home by six. It didn't bother him though, both of them sometimes got caught up in something and ended up late for dinner.

Figuring it wouldn't be too much longer, Jane set to work reheating some leftovers for dinner. At the very least Mrs DeGroot was home to eat them.

* * *

Tavish knew he was late when he stepped inside. His mind was an itch he couldn’t scratch, too distracted to think to call ahead and let his family know. When he took off his boots inside the doorway, the thought that they might have been worried about him pinched him sharply.

Guiltily, he stepped into the kitchen, where Mum and Jane were already eating.

“And where have you been? Don’t tell me you’ve been out drinking?” Mum demanded almost immediately.

“Ah… well… just a little bit.” He wasn’t too late for dinner after all.

“We could have gone out for drinks after dinner,” Jane said, not looking up from his dinner. “Or you could have at least told me you were going to be late.”

“It was a work thing. Ortiz invited me to go with her and a couple of friends. Didn’t think it’d be more than an hour.”

It was the truth, but Tavish didn’t want to mention that the “other friends” hadn’t shown up. Which was dumb and he knew it, but for some reason he felt guilty about going out with Ortiz.

Jane set his fork down in ittation. “Even I know your company doesn't have meetings in bars. It wasn't a work thing. Look, just call next time, ok? I know the bar has a payphone, so just call. Leave a message, I don't care.”

Jane sighed, Tavish was allowed to have friends of course, but he was irritated he wasn’t even considerate enough to call. And of course, he had to be hanging out with Ortiz of all people.

“There are more leftovers in the fridge. You'll have to warm them up yourself.”

If Tavish was feeling guilty before, it was nothing to how he felt now. He grabbed some leftovers and shoved them in the microwave..

“So she’s got three cats, and lives in the middle of nowhere?” Mrs DeGroot said, picking up her and Jane’s conversation where they had left off. “Maybe she’s a con. Did you get a good look at her garden?”

“She's not a con, Mum. Her garden looks terrible if that makes you feel any better.” Jane picked up his fork and began eating again, listening to the microwave. “She was very nice, a great host. She ordered pizza for lunch and we talked a lot. It was fun.”

“It seems both of you had a nice time today,” Mum commented, and Tavish shot her a dirty look. There was no reason to say it like that. And in fact, Tavish was glad that both he and Jane had a good time. That was the point, right? Making a few outside friends?

“At least I was home for dinner...” Jane muttered. He was probably trying to be quiet, but that was difficult with his voice.

Tavish dropped his hot plate on the table with a glare. “Easy to say when you don’t have anything better to do during the day besides sit with your feet up eating pizza,” Tavish scoffed. The words were coming out hot and angry, and he was pissed that Jane was making him get all defensive. “I happen to have a job I need to go to, and if I want to spend time with friends after work, that’s when I’m going to bloody well do it.”

Jane put his fork down onto the plate and got up from the table, walking to the sink and dumping his dishes inside. He left the room, not saying a word to Mrs DeGroot or Tavish. Tavish glared after him, picking at his food while his other hand drummed on the table.

“Tavish Finnegan DeGroot. You have some nerve.”

He blinked, looking over at his mother who was equally pissed off.

“After all this time trying to tell him that he’s wanted around here, and you go and tell him that straight to his face?”

"He started it!” Tavish threw his hands in the air. “For once in me life I come a little late and he throws a bloody fit!”

“So he’s throwing some words around and you tell him you don’t value what he does for us?”

“I didn’t say that,” Tavish huffed. She was just pissy like Jane, putting words in Tavish’s mouth to suit her point.

“That’s the way he heard it.” She pointed one bony finger at her son. “Now you better go up there and apologize to him.” 

“Like hell. When he stops acting like a bairn and gets over himself, then I’ll talk.” Before his mother could say anything more, he grabbed his plate and stood up. “I’m eating outside.”

Mrs DeGroot’s calls to him were lost as he slipped out the back door.

* * *

Jane was up in the Sergeant’s room, with said cat curled up on his lap. Sgt. Whiskers seemed to feel his negative emotions, and was trying to give Jane some comfort.

There was a knock at the door of the cat room, Mum’s voice floating beyond the wood. “Jane? You in there?”

“I'm here.” Jane called. Mrs DeGroot could probably hear him breathing anyway.

She didn’t ask if she could come in, since she’d do it whether he said yes or not. She found Jane sitting on a stool in the corner of the room, the kitten curled in his lap. Pulling another stool next to him, she said, “well. You two certainly have gotten into a tiff.”

“Is that Scottish for fight?” Jane asked, only half interested in what she had to say. “I shouldn't have started it.”

“Jane, you’ve got a hotter head than most highlanders, but you are both getting too cranky over this.” When Jane still seemed lost in his own thoughts, Mrs DeGroot placed a hand on his shoulder. “He didn’t mean those things he said, love. You’re heart of this household, and we don’t want you to do anything differently.”

“Are you sure?” Jane asked, still petting Sgt. Whiskers. It meant a lot more coming from Mrs DeGroot, as Jane knew she wouldn't lie. “I still feel like I overreacted. It's just... He's been spending a lot of time with that coworker and... nevermind.” Jane didn’t want to Tell Mrs DeGroot about Ortiz's little crush. He knew Mrs DeGroot had accepted him and Tavish, but there was still a nagging fear that it might fall apart if Tavish had another option appear.

“If there’s something you want to tell me Jane, something you don’t want me spilling to Tavish, you can trust me. Lord knows I’m good at keeping his nose in his own business.”

“I...” When she asked outright, Jane was incapable of lying. “The coworker Tavish keeps hanging out with, and talking about, she likes him. And Tavish isn't doing anything bad, but he won't stop talking about her. It's like he's bragging,” he huffed.

“Is that so.” Mrs. DeGroot frowned. “Maybe he is bragging, Jane. Have you thought that maybe you’re not the only one who’s jealous?”

Jane scoffed. “Are you trying to say Tavish is jealous of me? Of what?”

“I’m not saying what he’s doing is right, but, if I remember correctly, he started talking about this co-worker of his around the same time that you made your new friend, didn’t he? Maybe he wanted to have a few mates around, just like you."

“Maybe.” Jane wasn't really sure what to think. “Of course, my friend isn't in love with me.”

He rubbed his face some more, listening to Sergeant’s purrs as Mrs DeGroot continued to scratch him. They passed a few minutes in silence.

“If you don’t want to see him tonight, there’s always the spare bedroom across the hall. Maybe that’ll snap some sense into him, let him know he’s truly messed up.”

Jane laughed at that. “I don't want to do that to punish him, but I don't really want to talk to him tonight either. Thanks Mrs DeGroot.” There was nothing more for him to say after that. There was a lot he needed to think about.

“Of course. Keeping this family together is my job.” Mrs DeGroot rose and gave the Sergeant one final pat. “If you need me again, you know where I’ll be.”


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning’s atmosphere was tense, to say the least. Tavish offered a stiff “good morning” to his mother but nothing to Jane, who wouldn’t have replied anyway. It was a huge relief to get out of the house and on his way to work.

To the outside eye, things in the mansion might have seemed normal. Everyone went about their usual routines, but it seemed like the domestic bliss they had worked so hard for in the past year evaporated overnight. Weeks went by, and although Jane eventually started sleeping in their room again, that was about all the interaction they had. Conversation was relegated to required conversations about who would go shopping for groceries and when Tavish’s shoes had gone.

They might as well have been a couple of mannequins.

Things went on like that for two more weeks. They would talk over dinner, stating facts about their day without so much actual conversation. Jane saw Betsy a few more times, it felt good to get away from the mansion, but even Betsy could tell something was bothering him. Jane hated when he could be read so easily. She was very open and honest about wanting to help, but Jane couldn't tell her anything without revealing the real relationship between him and Tavish.

After Betsy's constant nagging Jane had finally made an appointment for Sergeant Whiskers with the local vet. It was just a visit, as Betsy believed Jane should see the facility before handing the cat over to be neutered. It was also a checkup for Sarge, to make sure he was healthy and growing well.

The whole thing made Jane nervous, so he booked the appointment after Tavish's work so they could go together. After all, the cat was both of theirs.

“Tavish?” Jane called, knocking on the workshop door before letting himself in. “I made Sarge's appointment. It's at 5:45 next Wednesday, so you can come too.”

Tavish looked up from his project.

“Aye, I’ll come after work. Leave the address on the fridge.”

“Alright,” Jane sighed, backing out of the room. He got a scrap of paper and wrote the time and address in his slow, childish lettering, then stuck it on the fridge. With all the anxiety about taking Sarge in, he hoped having Tavish there would make him feel better.

* * *

In the waiting room of the vet's office, Jane tapped his foot anxiously. SergeantWhiskers sat in a proper pet carrier on a chair next to him. Glancing up at the clock it read 5:40, it was almost time for their appointment and Tavish still hadn't arrived. Jane gave him the benefit of the doubt- maybe he had to finish some last minute work, maybe there was traffic, but even then he should still be here by now.

“I'm looking for Whiskers?” A vet-nurse suddenly walked into the waiting room with a clipboard, jerking Jane from his train of thought. The appointment was starting early, he glanced at the door, still no sign of Tavish.

“It’s Sergeant Whiskers,” Jane grumbled, picking up the carrier and following the woman into the room.

To Jane's surprise, the appointment went really well.. The vet was a young man who treated Jane with respect and patiently answered all of his questions, and the Sergeant was in a perfect state of health. The vet gave him his shots, then helped Jane book the surgery for Sergeant to be neutered.

The experience would have been entirely pleasant if not for Jane's anxiety about where Tavish was. He didn't show up during the appointment, and he wasn’t out in the waiting room when Jane came out to pay. He started to worry about if there had been an accident at work or something- Tavish had never held much respect for safety regulations.

Hopefully, he had just gotten tied up for so long he'd decided just to go straight home. Jane needed to find out, and so he tossed the Sergeant’s carrier into the car none to gently, and took off down the road.

As he opened the door to an empty mansion, he instead heard another car pulling in behind him. It was Tavish, only now getting home, who avoided Jane’s eye as soon as he saw him.

“You said you'd come, since when do you break promises like that?” Jane said, sounding more disappointed than anything. “I was worried something had happened to you!”

“No you weren’t,” Tavish snapped as he pushed past him. “You were just trying to make sure I’m not out having fun without you.”

Tavish still couldn’t bring himself to look at Jane, and instead walked upstairs, wishing he’d thought to call if only to keep Jane from hounding him.

“Tavish- Where are you going?” Jane yelled, running up the stairs after him. “I wanted you at that appointment Tavish, he's _our_ cat. What was so damn important that you chose work over this?”

“I was working on a project, alright?” A really fun project, with new and exciting people. Something he was apparently not allowed to do anymore. He pushed into their shared bedroom, dropping his wallet on the dresser. “Ortiz and some other mates wanted me input on the piping re-arrangements. We figured a way to turn the whole underbelly of the city into a combustion engine.”

Jane's jaw clicked shut as he processed the information he had received. He stared, watching Tavish take off his shoes while the gears in his brain slowly cranked into motion.

“Right. Right, Ortiz. Of course, Ortiz,” Jane scoffed, balling his hands into fists, breathing hard through his nose. “Of course you had better things to do. Of course you'd choose her over me.”

“What are you talking about Jane?” Tavish sighed. “I just wanted to have a bit of fun is all. You didn’t really need me there, did you?” Before Jane could respond, Tavish waved his hand. “Ach, nevermind. You never listen to what I have to say anymore anyway. ‘Choose her over me,’ pah!”

“Do you not even care anymore? You’re fucking bored of this already?” Jane's voice had raised exponentially as he started pacing the room, upper lip curled into a vicious snarl. “You don’t give a shit about anything going on back here! Too up your own ass, or your new _friends’_ asses to pay attention.”

Tavish narrowed his eye, not dignifying that with a response, obstinance that turned out to be the last straw. Jane slammed a fist down on the dresser, knocking over it the various odds and ends he'd collected over the past few months, sending most of them smashing to the ground. Sergeantwhiskers peeked into the room, summoned by the sudden noise, but Jane was too distracted to notice. A ceramic cat figurine jabbed itself into Jane’s hand, and a new fit of pain he grabbed a hold of it and at the bedroom window. The sound terrified Sarge, who dashed back out of the room.

Tavish jumped back from the shattered window, only a few meters from his head.

“Jane! What the fuck!”

Tavish looked at him in shock. Really looked at him, because when Tavish had so busy avoiding Jane, he had failed to notice the change that had taken over Jane’s face. It was something darker, bitter and violent, a look Tavish hadn’t seen in a long time. Jane hadn’t been this mad at him since the War.

But that was ages ago. They hadn’t fought that badly in years. Was Jane really that mad at him? He almost wanted to bolt the way Whiskers had gone, but Jane blocked the way to the door.

“Oh, so that's not what you want?” Jane feigned surprise. “Then what is it?”

Jane was itching to break something else, but first he whirled on Tavish, who flinched. It had only been a few months, but apparently his solid mercenary resolve had eroded so much that Jane’s genuine rage made him take a step back. His back pressed against the wall.

He should have said something, but the white-hot fury in Jane’s eyes was enough to stop him verbalising his thoughts. Jane's chest heaved with each breath, but he wouldn’t do anything worse, right? He was just upset, being a grouch was part of his charm. But the only time Tavish had ever seen Jane this mad at him was when he’d believed Tavish had betrayed his most important secret

Tavish shook his head.

“Damnit, Tavish!” Jane grabbed his collar, yanking Tavish away from the wall. He had a fist raised to about his waist, waiting to strike. “Say something! Just say something, fucking say something!” Jane bellowed, releasing Tavish then driving his fist into the drywall.

Tavish shook his head again.

Jane stood still, right next to Tavish, staring at where his fist had sunken into the wall.

“I just want to know why,” he said, voice slightly lowered. “I can't leave until I know why after all we've been through this is what screws us up, why you're trying to use her to hurt me.”

“I’m not-” Tavish choked out. “I’m not using her. I wasn't even thinking about you at the time. I wanted to go and makes some new friends, like you said we should. But all of a sudden when I did, you started getting…” Tavish’s eye flicked over to the dent in the wall. “Jane… just calm down. This isn’t you anymore, aye?”

Jane exhaled sharply. “You didn't have to tell me she liked you. You didn't have to tell me you enjoyed her company too. You didn't have to... keep bringing it up during _our_ time, and...” Jane wasn't yelling anymore. He looked distant, like he was in a trance. “You picked her over me. I was scared about Sarge and you weren't there.”

Somehow, the quietness to Jane’s words was worse than the shouting.

“I’m sorry about Sarge, alright? Just…take a breath Jane. I didn’t mean- I didn’t know that it bothered you that much, but I didn’t pick her over you. She’s just a woman from work, Jane, she really is. But you, you’re the greatest bloody thing that’s ever happened to me. I’d never pick someone else over you.”

“Then you should have been there,” Jane said with finality, finally withdrawing his hand from the wall and moving back from Tavish. He stared at the drywall dust on his hand for a moment, then turned to observe the state of the room. Many of his figurines had broken during their fall to the floor, and then there was the hole in the window.

“I'll clean this up. Just....” Jane didn't finish his sentence, walking out of the room and disappearing somewhere without another word.

Tavish didn’t think to chase after him until it was too late. He was left stunned, standing in the middle of shattered bedroom with his mind spinning. Jane wasn’t leaving. He wasn’t. He couldn’t.

A bolt of energy rushed through Tavish, and he sprinted down the stairs. Jane’s car was already gone, its empty spot in the driveway like a blemish on the desert landscape. Tavish rushed back inside, searching for his mother. He checked every corner of the house, not discovering her until he stumbled into the garden.

“There you are,” she said as she examined her turnips. “Jane’s been worried sick. Something about a vet?”

“Right. Right.” Tavish wasn’t sure how to explain anything. He just knew he needed to find Jane. “I, er, noticed his car was gone. Did he come out here? Say anything before he left?”

“I can’t say he did.” She got up off her knees, dusting the dirt off the gloves Jane had given her. “You know you need to apologize, lad. Things won’t get better if you don’t.”

She was more right than she knew. He gave her a grim wave, and scurried back into the house. Jane must have gone somewhere, somewhere he might be able to calm down. Not the bar, and his old apartment was long gone. Fuck.

The door slammed shot as Tavish got in his car. There were only two ways to go, fifty-fifty chance. Tavish started toward the highway.

* * *

The car was conspicuous enough, especially when there was nothing on this stretch of road but tumbleweeds. He pulled up, knowing Jane must have heard the car coming behind his own. He got out of his own car, and walked to the passenger’s side. The door was unlocked, and Tavish climbed in.

Jane’s head was against the steering wheel, and didn’t move as Tavish sat down. Tavish wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to pat Jane on the shoulder, or hug him, tell him everything would be alright, but he wasn’t sure how well that would fly right now. The fact that he couldn’t touch Jane was alien to him. There was something deeply wrong about that, and Tavish was starting to realize he’d fucked up. Badly.

He sat in silence, waiting for Jane to calm down.

It was almost like a standoff, waiting for the other to speak first. They sat in silence for about ten minutes, no other cars passed by in that time. It was dark, and silent.

Jane was just tired now, and he pulled himself up off the steering wheel, leaning back against the seat instead. It was too dark to see anything, but his throat ached from shouting. He opened his mouth to say something, but his mind was blank, and all that came out was a long sigh.

“Jane….” Tavish began. How was he supposed to fix this? He readjusted himself in the seat. “I’m sorry, Jane. This past month I’ve been a real arse.”

Jane blinked in surprise. “I should have said something sooner, but...” Jane grimaced. “I thought I was over this stupid insecurity thing., I didn't want to tell you. It's embarrassing.” He choked out a a laugh.

“You were telling me, I just wasn’t listening,” Tavish commented glumly. “And I didn’t exactly make you feel like you could talk to me about any of this. Lord. I’ve been such a piece of shit.”

“You're not shit.” As much as Jane has been mad, it wasn't really at Tavish, more the situation itself and his own inability to cope. He really didn't want Tavish to feel bad, even if his crazy tirade probably had.

“It's not like I don't want you to have friends Tavish, but she _likes_ you, and you've just been letting that happen.” Jane spewed it, the motion so visceral it came as a relief; like spitting out the stumpy end of a used cigar.

“Yeah. I have.” It was something he had considered too many times on his own. “But I’m not happy about it. I don't know what to do, Jane. Every solution I come up with is just as dumb as the last one. If I tell her I’m not interested but don’t explain why, she’ll hate me, I’ll be a right dobber, and everyone will know it.” He rubbed his forehead. “It’s awful,, hearing all the jokes at work. Every time it happens I remember how hidden we have to be.”

“I didn't think about it like that,” Jane admitted, more guilt twisting in his stomach. “I guess- when it was other girls at bars and stuff, it didn't bother me. You had nothing in common. But this Ortiz likes experiments and chemistry stuff, and she’s obviously way smarter than me.” Jane let out a shuddering breath.

“Hm. Maybe. But she’s not you.” Tavish, ever so carefully, reached to place his hand on Jane’s shoulder. “You’re my best mate. You’re the one I fought a war with and a war over, who means more to me than a hundred haunted swords. You’re the love of my life, Jane, and you know me better than I know myself. You’re spontaneous, animated, and funnier than I know what to do with. I’m not throwing all that away just because someone at work has few similar interests.”

“I know that. I really do. But you were getting so mad at me and...” Jane sighed, blinking back tears. “Let's just start over, okay? We can figure out a way to deal with this. Right now, just want to go home.”

Tavish squeezed his shoulder and left the passenger seat. He lead the way home in his own car, letting Jane get out whatever remaining anger he had to on his own. That only left Tavish with his own thoughts, and more importantly, with his disappointment in himself.

When they walked in the door, the smell of cooking reached their nostrils. “I guess Mum got tired of waiting on us.”

Jane chuckled. “Yeah, it's pretty late. I'm starving.” He still had to clean up the mess in their bedroom, but there was no reason it couldn't wait until after dinner. Emotions always ran wilder on an empty stomach. Jane took Tavish's hand and lead him into the kitchen.

“Where’d you two run off to?” Mrs. DeGroot asked as they walked in. “That’s just like you, causing a fuss with no explanation for your dear old Mum.”

“Jane and I just went for a drive,” Tavish explained. He gave Jane’s hand a squeeze. No need to mention they went for the drive in two different cars.

“Tch. Waste of gas if you ask me. What would your Da think of throwing away money when you could’ve well as walked?”

“Yes, Mum. Sorry, Mum.” Tavish was too tired to argue, but smiled at Jane as he got a bowl of pasta.

Once they had eaten, there was no more ignoring the mess Jane had left. Jane picked up the broom from the closet and began the trek up the stairs, stopping when he entered the bedroom. It was worse than he remembered- drywall dust was all over the floor from where he'd punched the wall, various trinkets and shattered bits were strewn across half the room. Then there was the hole in the window...

Jane sighed, and started by sifting through his collection on the floor, picking up the ones that hadn’t broken and placing them back on the dresser. Tavish found him sorting through the bits of broken ceramic. Silently, he began to help, despite Jane’s insistence it was his problem.

Tavish lifted a small figurine off the floor. With a wave of recognition, he realized it was the first cat he’d ever gotten for Jane, still in once piece. His shoulders slumped when he saw a small chip had been taken from the side of its face, leaving it with only one eye.

Carefully, he padded over to where Jane was bent over a pile of dust, and patted him on the shoulder. Jane looked over and immediately saw the problem, a little jab of sadness went straight to his heart.

“Maybe we can find the missing piece. Don't throw it out, Tavish, I'll... I'll fix it.” Jane grabbed the little cat figure, dusting it off a bit before putting it back in place. “And we need to find something to cover the window. God, I'm so sorry, Tavish. This is such a mess. Where’s Sarge? I want to make sure he's okay.”

“He might be in his room, that’s where he’s most comfortable.” Tavish glanced around. There were still so many bits and pieces to clean up. “I’ll take care of the window, alright? I have some hard plastic in my workshop that should do the trick. You go check on the Sergeant.”

“Yeah,” Jane said, in a daze. He leaned the broom up against the wall and then walked across the hallway to the room that had become Sergeant Whiskers'.

He was perched up on his cat tree when Jane arrived, tail swishing nervously. “Sarge!” Jane called. The cat's ears flattened, and he dashed off and hid in a box when Jane tried to approach him. Jane followed him to the box, crouching down to peer inside. He looked... scared. Scared of Jane.

Guilt welled up inside him immediately. Sergeant Whiskers must have been watching when he'd gone off, Jane couldn't blame the poor cat. Tears pricked at his eyes when he left the room, not wanting to scare the cat anymore.

When he got back to the room all the debris had been cleaned up, and Tavish was in the process of installing a temporary cover for the broken window. Jane slumped on the side of the bed, with a hand over his eyes.

“Janey?” He must have finally broken down. Tavish finished sticking the corner of the plastic in place and sat down next to Jane. “Shhh, it’s alright luv, don’t cry. We’re better now, aye?”

Still unsure, Tavish brought Jane into a hug. Jane clung to Tavish, glad he hadn't been terrible enough to drive him away too. “Sergeant Whiskers is scared of me,” he choked out. “I've screwed everything up.”

Tavish patted his back, letting him cry and reassuring him that things were all right. Warmth slowly returned to the room, cold air no longer leaking through the broken window. Tavish tucked his chin over Jane’s head.

The reality of what had happened set in. It had been so long since Jane had gotten violent, and he had insisted he’d been fine even without BLU to help him let off steam. Tavish had been convinced that their occasional grenade outings had been enough to keep him at optimal levels, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

“It’ll be fine Jane. We’re all scared right now, he’ll forgive you eventually.” After all, the cat was still a baby. He probably wouldn’t even remember this in a month. “I’m more worried about you.”

Jane's breath shuddered as he tried to calm down enough to speak. “I know what I did wasn't okay. I just couldn't even... think anymore. I was so angry.” Jane stared at his hands.

Tavish hesitated, not sure how to articulate himself. “Janey, have things been getting worse for you? For your,” Tavish tapped his own forehead, “state ‘n all?”

Jane bit the inside of his cheek. He hated talking about this more than anything else. It was his one weakness he couldn't cover up.

“I thought I was okay. I really did.” Jane swallowed; maybe he'd just been kidding himself this whole time. “I wanted to be okay for you, I was sure that this- being together- would fix everything.”

“That’s not how love works, unfortunately,” Tavish said glumly. “If being in love fixed all your flaws, I would have stopped drinking the day you moved in.” He chuckled, but he was only half joking.

They sat a moment longer in contemplative silence.

“And Jane? I don’t want you to think you need to be “okay” for me. I loved you when you just as wild as ever, and I don’t want you to change yourself because you think I’ll like you better like that. If you want to be “okay,” you should do it because it’s something you want.”

“I don't want to hurt you,” Jane said sadly, “and I was so close. You don't deserve that, not after everything we've been through.”

“I get that. The whole ‘shooting people without really wanting to kill them’ is a hard line to walk.” War had been a part of Jane for so long, Tavish thought he was doing a lot better than expected. He hardly ever got into fights at the supermarket, or hit himself with his shovel for no reason. “But I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit. You’ve been so much more…”

Was calmer the right word? Maybe not happier, but he was more…

“Down to Earth,” Tavish finished. “After the end of the gravel wars, I wouldn’t have blamed you if you lost your bloody mind! It seemed to be everything to you.”

“You're everything to me,” Jane said with a gentle smile. “Fighting was the only thing I was ever good at, but you and your mom have shown me I can do other things. It's not quite the same, though.”

Jane didn't miss fighting on a conscious level. If someone asked him he wouldn't say he missed it, but there was no denying that it helped him with control. If he could go crazy on the battlefield, then it was easier to keep a handle on himself outside of it.

Tavish kissed him on the side of the head. “Maybe we just need to do something for you more than blow up a building every now and again. Find a different outlet.”

“Ok,” Jane said tiredly. They had a plan, and that was enough of a relief for him. “I do still like blowing up buildings though.”

Tavish laughed and reassured Jane this would just be something else as well as blowing things up. That sounded good to Jane.


	11. Chapter 11

“If only there were some sort of war practice we could sign you up for,” Tavish said out of the blue a few days later. “I’m talking just like a simulation sort of thing. Not a re-enactment, just something to let you go out and shoot a few saps.”

“I'm pretty sure anything that involves shooting people outside of a few jobs isn't legal,” Jane said, digging into his breakfast.

“I’m saying like… fake guns or something.” Tavish chewed thoughtfully on his toast. “Say, Jane? You ever play a game of paintball?”

“I don't play games, Tavish. Games are for children and baseballers.”

“It’s more than just a game,” Tavish replied. He had only played it once, sometime after he had first moved to the states, but it was still some of the most intense fun he’d had outside of RED. “It’s like a mock battle. And plenty of adults play it, since there’s a lot of strategy.”

“Hm.” Jane took another bite of his breakfast while he contemplated the idea. “We could give it a try. If it’s no good, we can find something else.”

He might have argued more, but Jane wholeheartedly wanted to find something to curb his violent tendencies. They just weren’t a healthy thing to have in his new civilian life.

Tavish nodded. “Aye, sounds good to me. I’ll stop at the sporting goods store on my way home, see if they know any place around here.”

The thought of going back to work soured Tavish’s mood slightly. Just yesterday, he’d barely wanted to leave, but the thought of seeing Ortiz again put a damper on his enthusiasm. He knew it wasn’t fair- if it was anyone’s fault, it was Tavish’s- but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t a bitter reminder.

“Or maybe I should just stay home,” he sighed. “Lord knows that work is going to be depressing.”

Jane scoffed. “What would your mother think if she found out you were skipping work?”

“Alright, alright, you’ve made your point,” Tavish sighed. “But I _would_ like to do something with just the two of us. How about, right after work, we hit up the bar? Get pissed, start a few fights, It’ll be just like old times.”

“Alright,” Jane said, dumping the mug in the sink to soak. He toweled off his hands before sliding them around Tavish's waist and tugging them together, and leaned in to give Tavish a peck on the cheek. “I'd like to spend some time together again.”

“It’s a date, then,” Tavish promised. They spent a few more seconds standing silently in the kitchen before it was time for Tavish to go. He kissed Jane one last time before he left for work to brave his demons.

* * *

After Tavish left, Jane called up Betsy, and she was happy to invite him over for the day. They'd gone out shopping together before, but now that she was so late in her pregnancy she didn’t have the energy to go out for long.

Jane arrived at her house not much later, giving Betsy a warm hug and then running off to find her cats.

“I appreciate that you play with them when you come over. I've been so tired,” Betsy said from her place on the couch.

“It's no problem!” Jane responded, dragging around a mouse toy for Chloe and Pumpkin. Sunshine sat perched on the arm of the couch, watching the other two cats play with disdain. “They need their training.”

Betsy watched Jane play with the cats a while longer, but soon said cats grew bored and wandered off to nap somewhere else. Jane tucked the toy back into the closet and joined Betsy on the couch.

“You seem happier today,” Betsy remarked, smiling at Jane across the couch.

“Ha. Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better,” Jane grinned. “Me and Tavish have sort of been mad at each other these past few weeks. We figured it out though, everything is ok now.”

“I see.” Betsy looked at him with a knowing expression. It was odd. He had never seen that look before.

“What is it?” he asked, suspicious.

“Nothing! Nothing.” She tried to wave off the question, but still looked a little off. “Well... okay. Jane, I don't want you to be offended by this, and no matter the answer I still think you're a wonderful friend.”

Jane blinked, “Okay?”

“Jane, are you and Tavish... more than just roommates?”

Jane tensed up instantly, eyes widening. “What? Why would you think that?” He choked out a laugh.

“Jane it's- It's okay! I know it's none of my business, but I had a feeling. Please, I promise I won't tell anyone about it, Jane, and it doesn't bother me at all.”

“Really?” Jane sputtered.

“Of course! Jane,” she scooted closer to him, laying a hand on his arm, “that type of thing doesn't bother me, and I think you need someone to talk to. It was hard seeing you these past few weeks being so miserable and not knowing why.”

Jane’s face reddened. “You don't have to look out for me,” he muttered.

Betsy just laughed. “I can't help in Jane, it's who I am.”

And Jane decided it made sense. Betsy was very open-minded and kind, and he knew she could keep a secret.

“Thank you.” Jane sighed, feeling some weight lift off his chest. “I hate that no one can know about us. I'd tell the world how much I love him if I could.”

They lapsed into silence for a while, and Jane's eyes glazed over, deep in thought.

“So, Jane, why don't you tell me the real story of how you two met?” Betsy asked with a sly smile.

“Oh, the meeting story is true, there’s just a lot more interesting stuff that happened after...”

Jane spent the rest of the day telling Betsy stories about him and Tavish. It was wonderful, just like when he had first opened up to Mrs DeGroot. They ordered pizza for lunch again, and then Jane headed out in the evening, much happier than he had in a long time.

Jane was surprised to see Tavish’s car in the driveway when he got home. He was so used to Tavish coming home late that Jane had ended up complacent and was now late himself.

“Tavish? Sorry I'm late!” Jane yelled when he burst into the house. “I was visiting Betsy!”

At the sound of the commotion, Tavish walked and smiled at seeing Jane so frazzled.

“It’s fine lad, I figured it was something like that.” Tavish put his shoes back on and grabbed his keys. “Besides, found some things to do with myself. Gave Sniper a call, and the bloody hermit actually picked up.”

“Really?” Jane asked. He hadn’t bothered to keep in touch with anyone from his own team.

“Aye. This whole shitshow started because we were trying to make new friends, but seeing it go down hill reminded me I should keep in touch with the old.”

Jane grinned. “So, are we going out now? I could really use some greasy pub food.”

“You betcha,” Tavish said, jangling his keys.

As they began their drive, Tavish said, “you’ve been going to see Betsy a lot lately. I’m sorry about that. If I’d been more understanding the past month, we could’ve talked to each other, maybe worked something out.”

“No! Tavish, don't think I go to see her because I don't like being around you. She's a friend. I just like spending time with her,” Jane explained. “We should invite her over again. She, uh, she knows about us now. So we wouldn't have to hide anything.”

Subconsciously, Jane gripped the door handle tightly and braced himself.

“What? How did she…” the uncomfortable look on Jane’s face was all the answer Tavish needed. “You told her, didn’t you?”

“No! Well, I didn't bring it up. She knew, and I couldn't lie. I tried, but she saw right through it.” Jane grumbled at his own inability to lie. “She's ok with it, though. It was actually a relief. It's hard keeping a secret that big from someone you see all the time.”

“I know that,” Tavish said tersely. “What do you think I’m doing all the time?” He took a deep breath to calm himself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to blow up. But it’s just… it’s frightening you know? I know my Mum, and I trust her, but I’ve only met this lass once. You might know her well, but I certainly don’t.”

Jane frowned, “I'm sorry. I should have thought about that.” He sighed, leaning back in the seat and looking out the window as the scenery flew by. “I promise it’ll be okay, Tavish. She’s a good person, and she wouldn't do anything to get us in trouble.”

“Alright, I believe you. But I do want her to come around a few more times, so I can get to know her some more before I can trust her.” Tavish turned his attention back to the road.

As soon as they walked inside, Tavish brought some beers over to their table. Jane wanted to eat first, and one sloppy joe later, he’d already forgotten the stress of the car ride. Jane moved onto the fries, but the longer they stayed at the bar, the unhappier he became. The nostalgia was only engaging for so long before it just became another place they had to hide their relationship.

Jane sighed. This wasn't exactly what he'd been hoping for.

“You doing alright, mate?” Tavish said, noticing Jane’s frown. He placed a hand on his forearm, a form of affection that wasn’t conspicuous in the crowded bar. “I thought you wanted to go out and live a little tonight.”

“I did, it's just...” Jane sighed again, rubbing his eyes with his palms. “Going out to bars used to bring such a thrill, especially after the war. We were going against RED and BLU to see each other, it was fun. But now... it just feels like a reminder of how secretive we have to be.” Their visit to the bar now felt incredibly ironic when put that way- a symbol of rebellion, now a place of compliance.

Tavish fiddled with his second beer, not sure what to say. There wasn’t a risk of being overhead here, too many rising and fading voices, but that didn’t mean they could openly pal around. Something tugged at the back of Tavish’s mind.

“You know, there are other sorts of bars. Ones we might not have to be so secretive at.”

“What do you mean?” Jane asked. “We can't be anywhere people can see us.”

Tavish shrugged. “We aren’t the only people with a relationship like ours in the world. There are others like us, I mean. And sometimes everyone gets together in one place, and you can find other people like you.”

It wasn’t something Tavish had first hand experience with, he’d only started thinking in real terms about that part of himself after he’d fallen in love with Jane. But there were things that he knew about from word of mouth, even if he hadn’t been involved.

“I might like to try that sometime,” Jane admitted, looking at Tavish over his drink.

Tavish released his arm with a fond pat. He didn’t know how to find such a place, or even if going there would be any fun, but it was worth a try for Jane’s sake. It might even have been a nice exchange, had not six of co-workers chosen to show up at that exact moment.

Tavish’s first instinct was to run, despite that being a rather grand overreaction. _How did she find me?_ was his second, even before he spotted Ortiz among them. This bar wasn’t any of her usual frequents, but the idea that she had tracked him down here was ridiculous. Even if she had, she wouldn’t bring a bunch of other people along.

Maybe he could’ve hid his face until he slipped out behind them, but one of the men in the group recognized him too quickly. He waved and pointed, the rest of Tavish’s co-workers following his attention. “All I wanted was one bloody night off…”

“What is it?” Jane managed to ask before the swarm of people arrived at their table.

Jane coughed, drawing the crowd's attention. “...And who are all of you?”

Tavish cut in before anyone could introduce themselves. “Jane, these are some of my friends from work. Everyone, this is Jane, a good drinking buddy of mine.”

The group greeted Jane cheerily, but quickly descended into whatever they had been talking about before they entered the bar. Tavish was distracted just as suddenly. “Collins? What the hell are you doing here? Do you even drink?”

“No,” the woman, Collins, said stiffly from the back of the group. “I’m only here because Peters owes me five bucks and I wanted a burger.”

“Mark my words, she’s going to be smashed by the end of the night,” Penzag whispered conspiratorially as he leaned into Tavish’s side.

Eager to have the focus taken off him, Tavish stood. “That’s a load of bullshit if I ever heard it, Collins! You can’t just come to a pub and not get shitfaced by the end of it!” He slapped her on the back so hard her glasses fell askew. She irritably pushed them back up. “C’mon, first round’s on me.”

Collins made a noise in the back of her throat. “…Fine. I suppose one drink won’t hurt.”

Jane watched the exchange awkwardly, but after a few seconds realized that by drawing Collins to the bar, Tavish had mercifully diverted the group’s attention from Jane. None of Tavish's work friends seemed to be paying attention to him at all, and he preferred it that way. He had no idea what to talk to these people about, and who knew what he might spill after what happened with Betsy?

As he sat there drinking and watching the banter, Jane wondered if any of them were Ortiz. Sure he was supposed to be over that now, but that didn't mean he couldn’t be curious. She could be any one of them, as there was a surprising number of women in the group.

As if on cue, one of them walked over and tapped Jane on the shoulder.

“Hey, you look put out. Want to join us for a game of pool?” she indicated herself, then one of they men standing behind her. Before Jane could begin to wonder, she finished with, “I’m Julia, by the way.”

“Oh, I'm Jane.” He shook her hand “Nice to meet you.”

He ended up taking up her offer, and followed Julia and the rest of them over to the pool table. It was nice actually, even when his attempts to get Tavish to notice where he was and come over failed. Julia, and the guy, Evan, were nice enough, despite Jane not saying much. They held up most of the conversation.

It was still a relief when Evan wandered off somewhere, and Jane only had one person he had to pretend to know how to talk to.

“So…” Julia began over her half-empty beer. “You know DeGroot a long time? Or…” she wrinkled her forehead for a second, “Tavish, I guess?”

“Yeah. We worked together, I guess.” Technically against each other, but that wasn't important. “It was less science-y stuff. That's why I was there.” Jane shrugged, hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions. Not just for the sake of hiding their relationship, but also because Jane wasn't sure what cover Tavish had used for his work at RED.

“Are you guys good friends?” She asked.

Jane took a sip of his beer to avoid the query for just a second longer, unsure as to where she was going with this line of questioning.

“Yeah,” he grunted, slamming the beer back on the table. “We're best friends.”

She grinned. “You’re lucky, then. DeGroots’ a great guy- maybe a bit reserved at work, though, doesn’t talk much about himself. But any friend of his is a friend of mine, and you must be a pretty nice guy if you two are that close.”

“I wouldn't say he's reserved,” Jane laughed, almost finding the concept ridiculous, “but then again, we've known each other a long time.”

He couldn't help the smug smirk that appeared on his face after that jab. He wished he had met these people sooner, maybe then he would have known there was nothing to worry about.

Julia’s face fell slightly. “Well, I suppose you would know better than me.” She drained the rest of her beer in one gulp and looked at it thoughtfully. Raising her eyes, she gave Jane a look. “Hey, since you’re the expert on DeGroot here, do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“Alright, as long as it's not too personal. Some things stay between men.”

“Oh, okay. Well, if it is, just let me know, alright? I don’t what DeGroot thinking I’m talking about him behind his back.” She hesitated, mustering her courage. “Do you know if he’s seeing anyone?”

Jane froze, ice seeping into his veins. How was he supposed to lie about this? Jane took a sip of his beer, forgetting it was empty and making a noise of annoyance.

“No,” he choked, turning the sound into a cough. “He's not seeing anyone.”

Instead of looking excited, Julia looked downright disappointed. “Oh. Interesting. Good to know.” Julia let her shoulders sag, her slight inebriation not letting her keep up her façade any longer. “Uh, I’m sorry. It’s all just so…” she looked up at Jane. “You can’t tell DeGroot this. I mean, I guess I can’t make you do anything, and he’s your best friend and all, so I guess I should say please don’t tell him?”

She stuttered for a moment longer.

“Look, what I’m trying to say is that I like him,” she admitted. “But I just don’t know if he knows that, because I keep tripping over myself like some stupid school girl, and I’m so painfully obvious he has to know by now. And I was just thinking, if he was with someone, that would explain it you know? Like he’s not interested but isn’t up to letting me down. So if it’s not, then… is there something wrong with me?”

“No! No! It's nothing like that,” Jane panicked, suddenly guilty. Things would be so much easier if he could just tell her the truth, but Tavish had already freaked out over him telling Betsy. After all, he knew nothing about this Julia- unless....

“Do you go by Ortiz, by any chance?” Jane asked.

“Huh?” She blinked, momentarily shocked out of her own pity. “Um, yeah. That’s my last name. Why? Has DeGroot mentioned me?”

“Yeah, he talks about you all the time! Tavish told me about how you invite him to work on experiments and other science stuff. He considers you a good friend.” Jane fidgeted. He wished there was something to say that would make her feel better, then just let his mouth run. “His mother is really strict about upholding Scottish traditions, you know.You might just not fit in with those properly. Not that that’s a bad thing! It's just really strict about all sorts of pointless stuff. You shouldn't worry about it. You can do better than Tavish.”

“Scottish traditions? I guess I can see that.” Ortiz took a minute to process the new information. “It’s kind of sad, I guess. Not being able to be with someone because of your family. I mean, I get it now, but it’s still kind of sad.” She smiled wryly at Jane. “Thanks for your help, Jane. It’s good to know why.”

“Yeah,” Jane mumbled.

Tavish was still playing pool with the rest of his work buddies, and it didn't look like they'd be leaving anytime soon.

“So, you know my stupid embarrassing thing now,” Ortiz said, a bit of her earlier cheer returning. “I should ask more about you. What do you do for a living?”

“I'm, uh, I'm out of a job right now. You know how it is.” Jane laughed awkwardly and stared at the table. “With the economy and all that...”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Ortiz frowned sympathetically. “I should stop trying to guess at people. Why don’t you just tell me about yourself? It looks like we got plenty of time.” She jerked her head over to the group still clustered around the table.

Jane really didn't want to continue the conversation, since he was so bad at lying, but seeing how upset she got over thinking Tavish didn't like her, Jane didn't want to blow her off. He chose to stick to simple facts that didn't actually involve Tavish.

“Well, I'm a soldier. Or I was.”

“Really?” For the first time, Ortiz seemed to forget about her drink. “That’s cool as hell! Uh, as long as you don’t mind me saying that. I just think the world wars were so fascinating, you gotta tell me what it was like.”

Jane was surprised be her enthusiasm, and was happy to launch into stories about his time in Germany. After all, he didn't have to come up with lies about those.

* * *

After several successive games of pool, Tavish was about as drained as a man could get. A night he was hoping to reconnect with Jane over had turned out to be a bust, and he wasn’t even drunk enough to not care. However, when he looked over to his left, Jane didn’t seem to be put out at all. In fact, he and Ortiz were chatting enthusiastically, joking and laughing over their drinks. Tavish stared in puzzlement. Wouldn’t Ortiz be the last person Jane wanted to talk to?

He walked up to the table with a careful smile. “Hey, having a good time over here?”

Jane was startled by Tavish's sudden appearance. “Yeah! I was Just telling Julia about Germany. You finished playing pool?”

“I am.” Tavish turned to Ortiz. “Glad two are having a good time, but I’m afraid I’ve got to steal Jane away. I’m his ride, and I’ve got to be getting home now.”

“Oh. Oh okay.”

“It was nice talking to you, Julia,” Jane said, waving as he took his place beside Tavish.

Ortiz smiled at both of them, but faltered as she glanced at Tavish, mouth opening to say something but no words coming out. As the two began to walk towards the door, she stood up suddenly, alcohol making her smack the table on the way up.

“DeGroot!” she said a little loudly. “I, uh, can I talk to you for a second?”

Tavish braced himself, then turned around. It was going to come now, the difficult questions he didn’t have answers to. “Aye lass, what is it?”

“I just…I wanted to say…” she looked to Jane for help, “I know that you know. And it’s okay, I get it. Jane explained it all to me.”

Tavish’s eye went wide with shock, and he looked at Jane with too much surprise to be angry.

Panic seized Jane, and he quickly followed up with, “I, uh... I should have asked your permission Tavish, but I told Ortiz about your mom and your Scottish traditions about dating.” He stared at Tavish, trying to communicate through eyebrow movements alone.

“Oh. You did?” Tavish tried to catch up with what had gone on between the two of him. Before he could piece it together, Ortiz interrupted.

“Yeah. And I’m sorry, especially if I’ve seemed too pushy. But before you go I just want to let you know I understand and stuff. My mother was real traditional too, didn’t want me getting into science or any crap like that, and it took a lot of work to break away from her. I’m not saying you have to do that, but just… it’s okay not to do what everyone else wants you to do, you know?”

“Thank you Ortiz,” Tavish said genuinely. He still felt like he had missed something here, but the sentiment was easy enough to understand.

She punched him in the shoulder. “Anytime. And it was nice meeting you, Jane. Come to the bar on 32nd street if you ever need someone to get shitfaced with!”

“Sure,” Jane said, still in a bit of a daze from his earlier panic. “It was nice meeting you.” They escaped the bar quickly after that, leaving Ortiz in the dust. Jane flopped into the passenger seat of the car and groaned.

“I'm sorry, Tavish. She asked me if you were seeing anyone, and I had to say no, but then she was talking about how there must be something wrong with her if you don't like her...” Jane sighed. “It was the only excuse I could come up with.”

“Janey, Janey! Slow down.” Tavish placed a hand on Jane’s shoulder. “Just tell me what happened. What exactly did you tell her?”

“Well, I said that you and your mom are very strict about Scottish traditions, and maybe she doesn't fit within those standards. I said that she’s great and you like her as a friend, but your Scottishness gets in the way.” It sounded even more bizarre now that he was trying to repeat it.

Tavish withdrew his hand, placing them both on the steering wheel, and laughed aloud. “And she was drunk enough to believe that?” He chuckled more, trepidation melting away into near giddiness. “If I’d known that’s all it took… lord! I can’t believe you came up with a better lie than I ever did.” He grinned at Jane. “I really do overcomplicate things, don’t I?”

Jane laughed. “Maybe just a little bit. I hope she doesn't start pitying you too much for being 'alone' though. She probably thinks you're a pathetic momma's boy. Not that it wouldn't be true.”

“Hey!” Tavish protested. “I’m not pathetic! And I’m only moderately a momma’s boy!”

That got out a loud laugh from Jane, and the two drove home in high spirits. Maybe it wasn’t such a waste of a night after all.


	12. Chapter 12

Things improved greatly after Tavish and Jane had resolved things between them. The mansion went back to normal, and Mum was especially glad for the return to status quo. As she later told them, she could “barely hear anything with all the silence in the house.” Ortiz was just as friendly as before, although somehow more confident and sure of herself around Tavish. Probably because she wasn’t so worried he would find out her crush. He felt more confident too, and was a lot less guilty about hanging around her and her posse.

The months began to roll by again. The days grew longer, as did Sergeant Whiskers, who barely looked like a kitten anymore. He’d turned into a gangly pre-pubescent, now free to roam around the mansion as he pleased. One of Tavish’s favorite little perks was to stand outside Jane’s bathroom in the morning and watch the little cat balance on his shoulders while the soldier brushed his teeth. Even though it was a small thing, it was hard to explain how happy the sight made him.

On one of those quiet mornings, Jane was sighing into his cup of coffee.

“Today's the day, Tavish. Poor Sarge, losing his little soldiers...” Jane shook his head. Yes, the day of Sergeant Whiskers' neutering was upon them, and as both Betsy and the vet said, it was long overdue. Jane knew it was important, as Betsy had convinced him, but that didn’t make him any less nervous about the idea of Sarge getting an operation.

Tavish though Jane’s unending mourning was absolutely hilarious, but tried to keep it to himself.

“I know lad,” Tavish said as solemnly as he could, patting Jane on the shoulder on the shoulder on his way to grab a plate. “Lil’ trooper doesn’t even know what’s coming. Look at him, sitting there, not a care in the world.”

Sarge seemed to know they were talking about him. He looked up from his breakfast bowl and asked, “mrrow?”

“I’m sorry mate,” Tavish told the Sergeant. “But it’s got to be done.”

Jane groaned, putting down his mug and burying his face in his hands. “I'm betraying his trust. Look at him, he thinks I'd never hurt him, but I'm paying someone to cut off his important parts.” Jane wiped non-existent tears from his eyes. “I'm so sorry, Sarge.”

Tavish kissed the top of Jane's head before sitting down. “If you want, I can be the one to take him into the room.”

“No, you can't do that. It has to be me. I can only hope he knows he'll be better off for it.” Jane gave Sarge a sad glance. “I'd like it if you came to drop him off, though. I'm not really sure if I'll be able to drive myself home.”

“Of course I’ll come for emotional support,” Tavish reassured. Jane frowned at him. “Emotional support for Sarge, that is.”

It was the least he could do, after all. Despite it being rather amusing to Tavish, he knew this was a big deal for Jane. After breakfast, he helped Jane hunt down Whiskers and put him in the carrier.

Jane spent the whole car ride with the cat carrier on his lap, mumbling apologies to Sarge. It was over all too soon, and Jane carried the poor cat into the clinic. A nurse led them into the back room right away, leaving them alone until the vet arrived.

Jane let Sarge out of his carrier and scooped him up into his arms, snuggling him.

Tavish snuck a hand over to pet the smooshed cat. He scratched behind Whisker’s ears hearing purring as it revelled in the affection.

“Jane,” Tavish said, as gently as he could, “he’s still going to love you after this, all right? He’ll be asleep for the surgery, so it won’t hurt at first, and after that he’ll eventually get better. He’s going to forgive you.”

“I know.” Jane saluted the cat before letting him down to explore the room. “I'll feel better when it's done and he's home.”

As if on cue, the vet entered through the doorway, smiling at the three of them. He quickly explained the procedure, reassuring Jane that it was routine and completely safe. Jane nodded, and finally picked up Sarge and handed him over.

They both thanked the vet, Jane less enthusiastically. When they were out of the clinic, Tavish slung an arm over his shoulder and walked him to the car. “You did the right thing lad.”

“It's going to be so quiet without him,” Jane sighed, leaning against Tavish as they walked. “I miss him already. Why do we have to wait a whole day?”

“He needs time to recover,” Tavish explained, despite the nurse having told them as much before. “And from the looks of it, so do you. C’mon, let’s go home and have some tea.”

-

“Jane still having a crisis of masculinity on behalf of his cat?” Mrs. DeGroot asked when she found the two in the kitchen sipping their tea.

“Be nice Mum,” Tavish scolded. “It’s a rough day for all of us.”

She grabbed her own cup of tea and sat next to the two of them at the kitchen table. “Ah, cheer up lad,” she said, patting Jane on the shoulder. “It’s only for one day.”

“I know,” Jane grimaced. Being told what he already knew wasn't any help. “I need to do something to take my mind off of him. I don't know.” Sitting and drinking tea did nothing but help him wallow in his sorrow.

“You know,” Tavish remembered suddenly, “I did end up chatting up that sporting goods store. There’s a paintball arena about an hour and a half away, if you’d want to check that out today.”

Jane shrugged. He was desperate for something to do, and going out and shooting was never a bad idea. “I guess I could do that. Get it out of the way.”

Mum shook her head, muttering about “running off to play games,” as she left the kitchen. Tavish ignored her.

“Alright, let's get moving then. Grab some thick clothes and meet me by the car, I’ll make us some lunch.”

-

The drive out to the paintball arena was just as dour as the drive from the vet. Tavish tried to get Jane to talk a few times, but the conversations always fell flat after a minute or two. Tavish was glad it was just for a day; it was unnerving to think how depressed Jane would become if anything serious happened to that cat.

Desert rolled by, a few towns, more desert… there wasn’t much besides that in the state of New Mexico. They took the highway past a large city, coming to its outskirts. Tavish got out and surveyed the business.

It was nice. It reminded him of the gravel wars, where everything was neat, pointless, and only there so that people could fight over it. He grinned at Jane hopefully. Jane just stared blankly at the play arena, still not really getting the point of it all. Taking the lead, he trudged his way over to the small building bordering the playing field.

It was more of a shack than a building, and the inside was pretty cramped. Things like helmets, vests, gloves, and knee pads lined the walls, and if Jane didn't know any better he might have thought it was an actual military supply store. Over in the corner was the counter, and behind it was an assortment of paintball guns. A sign reading “rentals” hung above.

Jane marched over to the counter, where a gangly twenty-year-old slouched behind it. His hair was about chin length, and he was tilted back on a stool leaning against the wall.

“I am here for paintball,” Jane stated stiffly.

“Well, then you've come to the right place, my man,” said the young man, who let his stool sit flatly against the floor so he could lean closer. “What can I help you with?”

“First of all, you can address me as _sir_ ,” Jane growled, not appreciating the hippy-like appearance of this kid. “Secondly, as I said, I am here for paintball.”

The poor kid furrowed his brow in confusion, and glanced over at Tavish in hope of answers.

Tavish pushed his way past Jane and stood in front of the counter. “He’s trying to say he’s interested in coming here to play. We don’t know a lot about paintball, but thought it might be interesting to check this place out.”

The kid nodded, glad at least one of his customers was sane. “Sure man. Usually we have a lot of big groups around here, but none right now. Twenty dollars per person per hour, and thirty dollars for gun rentals. There’s other safety stuff that’ll cost extra.”

“Alright,” Jane grumbled. “Just give us the bare minimum, we know how to take a hit.” The kid shrugged, punching some numbers into the cash register.

“What colour paint d'you want?”

Jane looked at Tavish, a small smirk creeping onto his face.

“Give us red and blue.”

-

They put on the gear, which was just a pair of helmets since Tavish insisted on them. Despite his mother’s insistence it was the family tradition, he wasn’t ready to lose his other eye quite yet. Thick clothes would save them the brunt of the battle, and the two men were used to being filled with enough shrapnel to construct an armament of tin soldiers. Like a couple of paint drops would faze them, hah!

The kid went over some instructions, and insisted there was no melee involved, even when Tavish complained about it.

Before the two moved to opposite sides of the arena, Tavish whispered, “you’re going down, mate,” into Jane’s ear.

Jane wanted to respond, but Tavish was already off, so Jane decided to show him who was better by example. He was less confident with the paintball gun than he was with his rocket launcher or shotgun. It was a rifle, and hiding behind cover while watching for his target made him feel more like Sniper. But either way a gun is a gun, Tavish didn't even use a real gun during the war. There was no way Jane could lose.

It took a lot of self-control on Jane's part to not run out into the field screaming and shooting everything, and to instead sneak carefully between bits of cover. It would be different once he found Tavish- that Scot was hiding somewhere, and when Jane found him he'd cover the man in blue paint before Tavish could get a shot in.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the map, Jane was right about Tavish not knowing much in the way of real guns. They’d never been in his job description, though he’d used Scout’s pistol a few times during drunk target practice. The rifle felt strangely light in his hands, as did the way he kept having to duck behind barrels. But he knew that whatever strangeness he was feeling, Jane would have it ten times harder. That man only knew one way to fight, and it was called, “be louder and shoot more.”

He caught a flash of Jane’s helmet, and open fired. Already he’d forgotten that his bullets didn’t have any drop to them, and bright red paintballs splattered right over the Soldier’s head. The helmet disappeared.

“Come out boyo!” he called joyously. “I promise I’ll be gentle!”

“You first, maggot!” Jane yelled, “And I won't be gentle!”

Tavish was already sneaking around to the north of where Jane was hiding. “Kill ‘em all!” he yelled, springing out from behind his cover. It was worth it for the look of surprise on Jane’s face, which quickly turned into determined glee. Tavish unloaded his clip just as Jane pulled his own trigger.

“Die, you bastard!” Jane yelled, red and blue paint exploding everywhere.

The paintballs bruised badly, but it just spurned him on. They were weaving throughout the obstacles now, ducking and firing, laughing and teasing. It was just what Jane had needed.

Despite the rule about 'no melee', when Jane ran out of ammo he jumped on Tavish, throwing him to the ground. He and Tavish wrestled around on the ground, paint smearing everywhere. Neither one got the upper hand in the end. They had rolled on the ground for so long the paint had rubbed between them, turning them into a mushy purple. Exhaustion won out eventually, and Tavish collapsed next to Jane with a huff.

“I forgot how much fun it is to kick your ass,” he labored. “Somehow, we always did up on the floor like a couple of twallys.” Tavish turned, pressing his forehead into the side of Jane’s neck.

“Who says you kicked my ass?” Jane asked, “I'm pretty sure it was the other way around.” Tavish didn't respond, so Jane just lay still while catching his breath.

“Thanks for this,” Jane murmured. “It was better than I expected. I'd like to come back and meet some people.”

Tavish knew Jane had been doubtful about coming. He grinned, glad that things had worked out. “Glad to hear. I think they’ll like you here, you know. Bunch of gung ho civilians I bet, you’ll be like an icon to them with all shite you’ve been through.”

“Yeah. Doesn't matter what they think, I'll teach them respect.” Jane rolled over and got to his feet, holding out a hand to help Tavish up. “Want to get a coffee? I think we passed a place on the way here.”

-

A coffee and two bagels later, and it seemed like Jane had temporarily forgotten Sergeant Whiskers.

“You know,” Jane said, swirling the sip of coffee left in his mug, “It's been almost a year since I moved in. Doesn't feel like that long.” Much had changed since the war had ended and Jane had moved in, but he was in no way tired of it.

“You’re right. I was just thinking about it a little while ago.” Tavish sipped his own coffee thoughtfully. “I really miss that place. ‘Place’ meaning the general badlands and such, but you know what I mean. It was most fun job I’ll probably ever have.” He smiled at the man across from him. “But I’d never go back in a thousand years if it meant I’d lose this past year with you.”

Jane grinned, shrugging his shoulders. “I loved that job too, but I could never go back to it now. All the secrecy, and killing you was no fun. But I still feel guilty, sometimes, about not getting a job after that.”

“Don’t say that,” Tavish cried. “You do enough lad.”

Jane rolled his eyes. “It doesn't change the fact that you make all the money.”

“If it bothers you so much, there’s no harm in trying again. Doesn’t have to be a full time job, just something to say when folks ask you what you do.” Tavish trumbed his fingers on the table. “Why don’t you ask Betsy if there’s some steady volunteering you could do someplace? It seems like they don’t care so much about qualifications if they’re not paying you.”

“That's... I never thought of that,” Jane blinked. “Ha! You're a genius Tavish, you know that?”

“I am, aren’t I?” Tavish said, and laughed when Jane punched him in the shoulder. “Just kidding, just kidding.”

He nudged Jane’s foot under the table with his own. They had wiped off most of the paint by now, but folks were shooting them strange looks in their state of dress.

“Thank you, again,” Jane sighed, looking softly at Tavish and bumping his foot. “I don't know how to say how thankful I am for everything you do. I don't even want to think of where I'd be without you.”

Tavish knew that if he was drunk right now, that would have made him cry. Instead, since it was only 3 in the afternoon, his chest got a little tight and he gave Jane a huge smile.

“No doubt the same place I’d be: worse off. You’ve changed my life so much Jane, and I hardly feel I’m worthy of such high praise when I got an even more wonderful man sitting in front of me. The good Lord’s given me a lot of gifts, but you’re the greatest.”

Jane turned pink, and he coughed against the back of his hand. “Let's go! It's almost time for me to start dinner.”

Jane was calm the whole ride home. Tavish had never lived on base with the former BLU, but he assumed this is what his the man would be like after a good battle. Those BLU bastards never appreciated what a gift the Soldier was, but Tavish intended to remedy that. He would appreciate the hell out of Jane so long as they both lived.

-

The next day rolled around, and the two of them lounged in the living room, discussing nothing in particular since they wouldn’t pick up Whiskers for a while. Jane had remembered the cat eventually, but didn’t seem as put out as he was yesterday.

“We should have Betsy over again soon,” Jane suggested. “I want to make sure you know how trustworthy she is.”

“Right. Of course.” Tavish still hadn’t quite gotten over that someone outside the family knew about them. “The fourth of July is coming up, and I know with you around that’s not going to be a small endeavor. Why don’t you invite her to that?”

“That sounds great! I can make some steaks, celebrate America, set off some fireworks, and the more, the merrier!”

“Do you know when she’s due? We shouldn’t invite her it if it’s too close to her due date.”

Jane had to think for a moment. “I think she's due any day now, she should be fully recovered by July, I think.” Jane wasn't quite sure how long it took to recover from a pregnancy but he figured around a month should be long enough.

“Alright. I assume that she’ll bring the baby or something. They can go outside as long as it’s not in the sun or something.” Tavish knew jack all about babies, but that sounded about right. “Anyway, that’d probably be a good time to ask her more about volunteer work.”

Jane scratched his chin, not sure how much of Betsy's personal life he should reveal. Discreetly, he muttered, “she won't be bringing the baby... uh, it's not hers.”

“I’m sorry?” Tavish raised his eyebrow. Jane could say a lot of strange shit, but usually there was some sort of perceivable logic to it.

“The baby isn't hers,” Jane repeated. “She's just growing it, she explained it to me, it's Australian technology or something.” He shrugged. Even after Betsy's explanation, he still didn't understand the details of the process.

“She’s just growing it? What, like she’s going to give it away when it’s all done?” Tavish was convinced now that Jane was just repeating whatever Betsy told him all in the wrong way. Unless…“Wait, did you say Australian technology? Do you mean surrogacy?”

“Yeah! That's what she called it!” Jane snapped his fingers. “See, I know what I'm talking about.”

“Jesus…”

Tavish knew that was illegal in Scotland, and he was pretty sure it was illegal in America too. No wonder Jane trusted Betsy so much. She was probably in just as much trouble Tavish and Jane.

“What?” Jane asked, noting the concern on Tavish's face. “It's a bit weird, sure, but she likes doing it, so...” he shrugged, he never would have guessed Tavish would have an issue with it.

“I suppose.” Tavish didn’t want to say more. Betsy was Jane’s friend, after all. But despite that, he couldn’t keep the nagging in the back of his mind from opening his mouth. “I don’t. I’m not one with the strongest morals, mind you. But something about getting paid for a kid just doesn’t sit right with me.”

Jane stared, mouth opening and closing as he tried to respond. “I- she didn't say anything about getting paid. She gave birth to her sister's kids because she couldn't have them herself. I think she does it to be nice.”

“Bloody hell Jane. Helping sick kids in the hospital is one thing, but nobody goes through nine months of that to ‘be nice’.” Tavish sighed, blowing hot air out his nose. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it like that. I know she’s your friend and all, but folks don’t always do things out of the goodness of their hearts.”

“I said that too! But when she talks about it, it makes sense!” Jane made a frustrated noise. “Stop making that face. I know you think I'm an idiot for believing her.” He crossed his arms and glared out the window.

“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” Tavish reassured, but Jane jerked his shoulder away when Tavish tried to place a hand on it. Tavish sighed.

Jane was distracted enough by Sarge when they reached the vet, though, bouncing his knees in excitement. An assistant eventually brought out Whiskers in his carrier, and a small smile crept onto Tavish’s face. He had been so caught up in making sure Jane wasn’t stressed, he hadn’t realized he missed the little cat too.

“Thank you very much,” he told her, and she proceeded to explain some of the care that the Sergeant would need while he recovered.

Tavish listened dutifully, and Jane lifted the carrier up to his face, inspecting Sarge for anything unexpected. He looked a bit dozy, but none the worse for wear.

“You okay, Sarge? We'll be home soon,” he murmured, patting the hard plastic carrier even though the cat wouldn't feel it.

The ride home was quiet except for Jane’s occasional cooing, which continued until they pulled up to the house and brought the cat to his room. Whiskers padded around slowly when he was let out of the carrier, uninterested in the treats they had left out him. He did eventually deign to curl on Jane’s lap, looking sleepily over his kingdom. Tavish scratched him behind the ears.

“Still mad at me?” Tavish asked, directing his question at Jane.

“No...” Jane grumbled, not capable of staying mad at Tavish for more than a few minutes. “I'm just glad Sarge is home, it's just not the same without him.”

“Aye, me too.” Sergeant Whiskers was technically Jane’s cat, but Tavish couldn’t deny his soft spot for the little beast. He moved in closer, resting his head on Jane’s shoulder while they continued to pet the recovering patient. Tavish chuckled.

“It’s amazing how often we end up right here: sitting on the floor of this room, pampering this same cat. So much for being the toughest mercenaries in the world.”

“Petting the cat doesn't mean we aren't the toughest mercenaries in the world,” Jane scoffed. “After all, he's a soldier in training.”

“You’re right. My mistake. After all, getting massages is all part of the training process, isn’t it?” Tavish teasingly elbowed Jane in the ribs.

“Massages are acceptable when one is recovering from surgery,” Jane said, jabbing Tavish back. “Now stop jostling me, Sarge doesn't like it.”

Tavish did as he was told, and resigned himself to gently petting the cat as it dozed off. Even then, Jane didn’t want to leave. It took another twenty minutes of coaxing to get him out of the room and downstairs for some lunch.

-

Things returned to normal, and the change in Sarge wasn’t particularly dramatic. He was a little quieter the first week, but eventually he was back to his old playful self.

The summer months in New Mexico were unbearably hot, and Mum spent most of her time inside. The desert wind didn’t care much for old bones that longed for rain and bogs. Tavish dropped her into town one day after her excessive complaints of being cooped up. That was fine with him, he actually had plans for the night with just him and Jane. When he arrived back home, he found Jane sitting on the couch with the paper open, Sergeant Whiskers on his lap like always.

“Afternoon, Janey. Fancy going out to get pissed to hell ‘n back?”

“Don’t I always?” Jane grinned, folding up the paper and shooing Sergeant Whiskers off his lap. “We going now? I'll grab my wallet.”

Once they were in the car, Tavish explained how this particular excursion would be a bit different. “So. Jane. Do you remember the last time we went out and we couldn’t… be quite as comfortable as we wanted to?”

“Yeah. That's what it's usually like for us,” Jane droned, shrugging his shoulders. “It is what it is.”

“Well, what if it didn’t have to?” At Jane’s raised eyebrows, Tavish continued. “I remembered last time, and how I said there might be some different places we could go. It took a while, having to be discreet and all, but I asked around and find a bar in the next city over that might be a bit more welcoming.”

Jane looked down at his hands, starting to fiddle with a loose thread on his pants. “Are you talking about a gay bar or something?”

“Aye.” Tavish looked over to see Jane picking at his clothes. He knew it wouldn’t be the most popular idea in the world, but he still hoped Jane would be moderately interested. “Hey, don’t worry lad. It’s not like the shite that people spread about it. I’ll be there the whole time, and if you decide it’s not our speed, we can just slip out and go to a regular bar.”

“Ok,” Jane relented. “But you're buying.”

Tavish rolled his eye. “If that’s what it takes.”

It was a long car ride, since the city Tavish worked in didn’t have a gay bar as far as he was able to gather. It wasn’t too far away from the paintball place, but tucked into the downtown hub instead of the outskirts. The summer sun hadn’t set yet when their car pulled up and they got out, but music was already pulsing from the inside.

Tavish indicated towards the door. “Shall we?”

Once the bouncer had let them in, Tavish saw that the place wasn’t as crowded as he expected. Maybe that should have been a given, what with a much smaller source of clientele, but it still tipped him off balance. The music was loud, and a few couples were dancing, but other than that it didn’t seem very active for a Tuesday night.

He lead Jane towards the bar- that at least was something he was familiar with. Jane took a seat, sitting there stiffly with a sour look on his face.

“Give me a beer,” Jane said to the bartender, who had wandered over upon their arrival. Nothing was too salacious so far, but Jane wasn't letting his guard down that easily. “So what do we do now? Just drink?”

“What do we usually do at a bar, Jane?” Tavish asked drily. He motioned to the bartender to indicate he’d have the same.

He saw two women dancing enthusiastically near the back. He hadn’t realized the bar was co-ed, though that was probably safer than risking opening up a second one just for the ladies. Looking around more closely, most of the patrons seemed to know each other, those not dancing occupying the side tables and chatting with one another. Seeing couples openly leaning against one another put a slight smile on Tavish’s face.

The bartender brought over their drinks, and it gave Jane something to do besides stare at the counter. As he drank, his eyes wandered, observing all the same things as Tavish. To him, though, seeing the couples dancing, flirting, engaging in small affectionate moments, it put a strange weight on his shoulders.

Tavish and Jane could never be affectionate openly. It had been like that so long he wasn't sure he could even if he wanted to.

“So, haven’t seen you two around here before,” the bartender noted as he came by. There was a question to his voice, and Tavish felt guilty. There was good reason to be suspicious when it came to strangers.

“Aye, we’re from down near Artesia. Not much nightlife around there, and we’ve heard some good things about this place. Came up here seeing if it might be worth the drive.”

There was a brief flash of surprise for Tavish’s accent, but it was gone quickly. The bartender nodded, friendly enough. “Well if you two need anything, let me know. Not much going on tonight it seems. I’m Marco, by the way.”

“Tavish. And this here is Jane,” Tavish said, indicating to his left.

“Hello,” Jane said gruffly, both nervous about the questions but not wanting to be rude. He glared at the bartender, much like an animal trying to establish dominance.

“He’s nervous,” Tavish explained quickly. “We’re not used to being open about…” Tavish gestured between the two of them. “…us. This is our first time coming to one of these.”

“Shut up. He doesn't need to hear our goddamn life story.” Jane barked, gritting his teeth. He was hoping they could come in here, drink, and then leave without causing too much of a fuss. But here was Tavish, chatting up random strangers as usual.

Tavish resisted the urge to shoot a _see what I mean_ look at the bartender, and instead gave Jane a pat on the shoulder. “Jane, it’s alright. You said you’d give this a chance, remember?”

“I am giving it a chance. I'm here, aren't I?”

Tavish didn’t get a chance to give an equally stubborn reply. Another worker came up next to Marco, his apron not tied and his hair a mess.

“Hey. We’re out tequila,” the newcomer said, almost sheepishly.

“Wh-? Out ? I just had you go buy some yesterday.”

“Uh…”

“You forgot, didn’t you?” Marco demanded. The other worker just grinned in a _what are you gonna do_ sort of way. “You’re the worst. Go, now. We have thirsty customers.”

The worker leaned in to kiss Marco on the ear, but the bartender just pushed him away. “No, none of that. I’m mad at you, get your ass out of here.”

He did as he was told, still grinning as he tossed his apron onto the bar. Marco gave Tavish and Jane an apologetic smile as he left, shrugging his shoulders. “Sorry about that. That’s my partner, Alex. He’s… like that.”

“You fraternize with your coworkers?” Jane growled, completely oblivious of the irony of his statement.

Tavish jabbed Jane sharply in the side, but Marco didn’t seem to mind, and shrugged his shoulders. “Not really. We’d already been together for a few years when we founded the bar.”

“Jane and I actually used to be co-workers,” Tavish pointed out icily. “That how we met.” He tried to put as much annoyance into the last word as possible.

“We met OUTSIDE of work. I didn't even realize who you were until hours later. Besides, we weren't co-workers, not really,” Jane pointed out.

Tavish was just about to give up. Obviously Jane wasn’t going to take to this place, as much as Tavish would’ve liked him to.

Tavish finished his drink and was about to say it was time to leave, when a woman plonked down on the stool to his right.

“Hey Marco,” she addressed the bartender, “who’s the fresh meat?”

“This is Tavish and Jane, from Artesia. Guys, this is Ari.”

She grinned at them, a whiskey already in front of her without having to ask. “Hey. I like your haircut,” she told Jane, no doubt since it was the same as her own.

Jane blinked, surprised by the sudden compliment from the intimidating woman.

“Thank you. It is standard military regulation.” After all, what else could he say? “Your hair is also very... masculine.”

Ari shrugged and smirked. “Hey, it’s like you said. ‘Standard military regulation.’”

“Ari was a WAC in ‘Nam-” Marco explained.

“Something these guys give me endless shit for,” Ari cut in.

“And if she actually did wear here hair like that,” Marco continued irritably, “she would have been thrown out in a heartbeat. It’s pretty much a dead giveaway.”

“Oh.” Jane blinked, unused to talking to other military people. After all, his tour of Europe had been a solo one, and it made him nervous about saying something wrong and being called out on the fact that he wasn't exactly asked to go to Germany.

Ari looked Jane up and down. “Let me guess, World War II?” she asked about Jane’s apparent age. Marco sighed, like he knew there was no stopping her once she talked about war stuff. Tavish knew the feeling.

“Yes,” Jane said, surprised. “I was stationed in Germany, nothing like killing Nazis.” He tilted his head at her, intrigued.

“They wouldn’t let me fight at first, had me stuck doing communications,” Ari told him bitterly. “But things shift when you’re under fire. Now and then everyone has to pick up a gun. I served my country proudly.” She glared at Marco, as though daring to tell her different.

“I'm proud of you!” Jane said confidently, it was almost impossible for him to find a problem with any sort of war. “So many people don't want to serve their country nowadays!” He leaned over, slapping her back. “Next drink is on me!”

Marco brought drinks, and Tavish grinned as his boyfriend began to open up. Who knew all it took was to find a fellow soldier for Jane to feel comfortable? Tavish settled into his seat and made small talk with Marco, the bartender popping in and out while he tended the other guests. Eventually Alex came back, and Tavish got a more formal introduction to the haphazard young man.

“Alex almost fought too,” Ari mentioned off hand. The other bartender immediately stiffened, like a deer caught in the headlights.

“What do you mean, 'almost'?” Jane asked, brows furrowing in suspicion. There were few good excuses in Jane's mind for someone not fighting in a war.

“What do you fucking think she means?” Alex snapped immediately. Before anyone can say anything, he stormed off.

Marco glared at Ari. “And what was the point of that? You know he’s sensitive about that shit.”

Ari just shrugged. “He needs to get over it some day. I’m gay and a woman and I still got in. I don’t know how they fucking kicked him out. Did he just walk into the recruitment office with a shirt that says ‘I like dick’?”

“That shouldn't even matter,” Jane scoffed. “If you want to serve your country you will find a way, no excuses.”

“Exactly!” Ari said, and took a swig of her beer.

Jane nodded, with an air of superiority radiating from him. Tavish wanted nothing more than to smack a little sensitivity into the back of his head.

Marco reacted with far less warmth. He glowered at both Jane and Ari, and took a step back from the bar. “Well. It was to meet you two,” he said stiffly to Tavish and Jane, “but I’ve got other customers to be with. See you around.”

The discomfort of others was lost on Jane, who looked just as pleased with himself as ever. But as thick as he was, Jane eventually noticed the way Tavish was glaring at him.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re being a right prick about this,” Tavish snapped. Sure, Jane had went and fought in the war anyway, but not everyone was as nuts as him.

Jane frowned. “I'm just telling the truth. You're not American, you don't understand.” he shook his head. “Besides, Ari agrees with me!”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s not like you were obvious about it right? Or maybe it was easier for you back in the day, when people didn’t notice that stuff as much.” She motioned to her eyes to indicate.

“Well I mean... not quite.” Jane clenched his beer tightly in his hands. To him, it felt like the conversation had turned rather suddenly.“It was the same back in my day, I'm just saying that if you love your country, nothing keeps you from defending it.”

“Even if your country hates you back,” she agreed. And, was it Jane’s imagination, or was there a hint of bitterness in her voice for the first time?

“Yeah...” Jane murmured.

The atmosphere was much less welcoming after that. Jane and Tavish finished their drinks, and decided to head home. Jane didn't feel too bad about the evening, but Tavish turned on him as soon as he got to the car.

“Alright, fine. I get it. You didn’t like the place. But did you have to be such a complete and utter arse about it that we probably can’t even show our faces there again?” Tavish didn’t even start the car, just frowned at Jane.

“What are you talking about?” Jane cocked his head. “I was perfectly fine, I actually had a good time! Would have been better if you didn't spend it glaring at me.” Jane crossed his arms, mood utterly soured.

“Let’s count the ways, shall we?” Tavish listed them off on his fingers. “Get pissy at me when I talk about our relationship, tell our bartenders they’re being unprofessional just for dating, and last but not least, bitch at the man because he kicked out of the military! For being like you and me! Not everyone can just go on a Nazi killing spree because they bloody feel like it Jane.”

“Why not? I'm no different than he is!” When Tavish didn’t respond, Jane stared down at the glove box and frowned. “I don't get it. Ari liked me, but because someone else got pissed off at what I said we can't go back?” Jane scowled, “Wasn't this all about being ourselves? That's all I was doing.”

“Do you actually want to go back or are you just saying that to be contradictory?”

Jane shrugged. “I had fun. I am... sorry I made the bartenders mad.”

Tavish let out a deep breath. “Okay. We’ll go back, but I want you to promise you’ll be…I don’t know. Nicer. I love getting into a brawl as much as I always have, but I don’t think it’s that sort of place.”

“Ok.” Jane agreed finally, now feeling a little guilty he’d ruined Tavish’s night. It wasn't that late, but he was getting tired. Maybe they were getting old. “Just tell me what not to say, I'm no good at figuring that out.”

“Just… er, tell the barman you know you were being right pillock, and that it won’t happen again. He seems to get it a lot from the lass, so maybe he won’t be too mad.”

As he started the car, Tavish realized that the bar trip may have been a success after all. It lightened his mood, thinking this could be the start of something better.


	13. Chapter 13

The Fourth of July was just around the corner, and Tavish had been making fireworks, reworking them again and again to meet Jane's high expectations. Jane had put himself in charge of planning the food and celebrations in general, while Tilly went about life as normal and tried her best to ignore them.

“So, how big will the explosion be with these ones?” Jane asked, peering over Tavish's shoulder as he worked.

“You want the answer to that in terms of brisance, or is it fine if I just say ‘really bloody big’?”

“Really big sounds good.”

They’d have a good show for the four of them tomorrow. Or maybe only three of them, since Mum always went back and forth on whether she was participating in American holidays or not.

Jane leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around Tavish from behind. “Thanks for doing this for me. I know work had been busy recently.”

“Ach, don’t mind it. This is important. Better than being at the plant after all.”

“I've got everything ready for the barbecue, and Betsy is coming around four. Do you have any idea if Mum is staying for the celebration?”

Tavish snorted. “Like I ever know what Mum is doing with herself. Right now she’s out with Ruthie, so might as well plan for her to be coming back.” Tavish looked down cheerily at his work, glad Jane had paid him a visit. “Do you have to start the barbecue now, or you mind keeping me company?”

“I suppose I could stay.”

Jane pulled up a stool and watched Tavish work until he was startled back to reality by the doorbell echoing throughout the house.

“I've got it!” Jane yelled, jumping from the chair and bounding down the stairs. He was almost out of breath by the time he reached the door, finally whipping it open.

“Jane!” Betsy greeted, pulling him immediately into a hug. He squeezed her back, then pushed her back to arms length, taking in her appearance.

“Wow, you look smaller.” Jane blurted out. He hadn't seen her since she'd had the baby.

Luckily for Jane, she was used to his blunt manner of speaking, and just laughed. “I sure am! As much as I like the process, there's nothing quite like being able to see your feet.”

Jane led her into the kitchen, where a bag of potatoes and a bottle of wine sat on the counter. “You can drink now too,” Jane realized, gesturing to the bottle of wine.

“True! I didn’t particularly miss it, but I'd love to partake for the sake of the celebration.” Betsy took a seat at the table. “Where's Tavish, by the way? I haven't seen him since the first time I was here.”

“Oh, he's just finishing off the fireworks upstairs, he should be down soon. Tavish never misses pre-dinner drinking.”

Sure enough, Tavish came down the stairs less than a half-hour later. “All set ‘n ready to go,” he said proudly, then noticed their guest.

Jane remembered his and Tavish’s last conversation, and prayed Tavish wouldn’t be too awkward.

“Nice to see you again, Betsy,” Tavish said, taking a drink of wine. “Thanks for deciding to join us for the holiday, it’s good to have some company.”

“It's nice to see you, Tavish. It's been a long time!” Betsy smiled.

“Are steak and baked potatoes okay with you, Betsy?” Jane asked, stepping over to the sink and resuming the potato washing.

He tried to keep up a few minutes of empty conversation, asking Betsy how she’d been and keeping the awkwardness to a minimum, at least until Tavish chimed in.

“So, it’s been a couple of months since I last saw you. Got any projects going on since…?” He indicated to her flat stomach.

“No, I'm not currently pregnant if that's what you're asking,” she said carefully. “You know we do need time to recover.” She punctuated her point by taking a sip of wine. Jane glared at Tavish over his shoulder.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant!” Tavish waved his hands for emphasis. “I just meant that now that you’re not…you know. You have a lot more flexibility now. Scheduling flexibility. Not like bending over.”

“I suppose.” Betsy shrugged. To Jane, it looked like she was barely holding in laughter. “It's been nice to get back to work for sure. I get so bored with myself when I'm stuck at home.”

With a bit of relief, Jane realized they’d be fine if he left them alone together. “I'm going to go set up the grill, I'll be back soon.”

-

Tavish wished he could say “don’t leave me” out loud, but Jane was already out the door. The former demoman rubbed his neck and looked at his drinking partner.

“Doesn’t sound all bad,” Tavish remarked, because work was a safe topic. “You got all them cats to keep you company.”

“I do love the cats,” Betsy nodded. “But they're not people. My sister visits occasionally, but she's busy with her own life. It's been nice having Jane come over to keep me company.” Betsy fidgeted with her glass. “And how about you? Work been treating you well?”

With relief, Tavish launched into something he could actually talk about for a bit. “Not particularly. There’s been a lot of sickness running around lately, and the folks that can still walk are struggling to cover the loss of labor. I blame upper management. We weren’t exactly overstaffed before, and now we’re dramatically understaffed. I’d settled for just being staffed.

“Things have been alright in me own department, but Ortiz’s floor is almost entirely wiped out-” Tavish stopped. “I, er, assume that Jane’s talked to you about my mate Ortiz?”

“Yes, Jane has told me quite a bit- more than you'd like I'm sure.” Betsy laughed, covering her mouth. “But please don't worry about it Tavish. I know everything turned out fine in the end. All couples have their quarrels and miscommunications, and I don't see you as the bad guy for it.”

Strangely enough, Tavish relaxed at that. He didn’t think he’d been looking for Betsy’s approval, but hearing her say she didn’t blame him relieved some of his doubt. He started talking more about work, glad he had someone new to chat with since Jane and Mum had heard his stories a million times. Betsy listened eagerly, laughing in all the right places as the wine allowed them both a little buzz.

“…maternity leave has sure saved my behind,” Betsy was saying. “I really wouldn't be able to do the whole surrogacy thing without it. Just between you and me, but my uncle runs the company I work at, and I'd never get this much time off if I wasn't his niece.”

“Aw, I’m sorry, lass. That’s kind of him though, you lassies don’t get enough sympathy for that in my opinion. That shit’s hard work.”

They had finished the whole bottle, and Jane would probably berate them for not saving him any, but neither of them was paying attention much right now. Tavish was glad the awkwardness had melted away; he could definitely tell what Jane saw in Betsy. He felt a little bad for assuming she was just in it for the money, when now it seemed obvious she was just a genuinely nice person.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why do you do it? The whole surrogacy thing? You don’t have to give me an explanation if you don’t want to, I was just curious.”

“Well, I know it's strange, but I enjoy it.” She sighed.“It all started with my sister. She and her husband couldn't have kids, but they found out about surrogacy, and I was the one who offered to carry her kids for her.

“I had her two kids. That's how many they wanted, but I missed it after the fact. So I contacted one of the doctors and asked to be listed as someone to contact for couples looking for a surrogate. It makes them so happy to have a child- I love being able to do that for someone.”

Tavish nodded. “I can respect that. Don’t necessarily understand it, but I respect it.”

Just then, they heard the front door opening with Mrs. DeGroot’s arrival. Tavish opened his mouth to tell Betsy as such, but then he heard definitely-more-than-one-voice floating down the hall. With a groan, Tavish excused himself, seeing what his mother had gotten into this time.

She had brought Ruthie along. Of course she had. His mother’s friend had a little boy with here too, a slightly overweight thing that looked like his eyes were going to pop out of his head at all the exquisite trappings of the mansion.

“Tav, be a good lad and get these two some refreshments. They’re my guests for the party,” Mum told him as she bustled to the kitchen.

“Mum. We don’t have enough food for more than the four of us,” he told her testily. He had half a mind that this was just a way to get back at him for trying to get her to join in the Fourth of July festivities.

“That’s alright Tavish,” Ruthie cut in as she followed the older woman to the kitchen. “Stu could stand to eat a little less.”

The little boy, Tavish was assuming was Stu, frowned, but didn’t say anything. The new guests arrived in the kitchen, and Tavish cast a sympathetic look at Betsy.

“Hello, little man!” Betsy exclaimed, leaving the boy staring at her with his fist pressed to his mouth.

Jane too had wandered back in, stopping in his tracks when he saw Ruthie and Stu. “Should I get out more steaks? There's more in the freezer,” he mumbled.

Ruthie tutted. “Oh no, don’t trouble yourself-”

“Eat a steak, Ruthie,” Mrs. DeGroot said sternly.

“You’re such a bully, Tilly,” Ruthie complained, but relented. She then began to compliment the kitchen, and oh my, how much it had changed since she’d last been here, was that a new color to the curtains? None of which Tilly could tell, but she let her friend prattle on anyway.

“So, Ruthie,” Tavish managed to get a word in edgewise, “is this your grandson?” He indicated Stu.

“Oh, yes, yes. His mommy went on her third pleasure cruise this year, so I’m looking out for him right now. And you’re going to be a good boy for the DeGroots, yes?”

Stu looked at all the assembled strangers, his fist still in his mouth. He gave a little nod.

Mrs. DeGroot pursed her lips. “Well that’s reassuring,” she huffed. “Anyway, I need to visit the garden before the night chill sets in. If you’ll excuse me.”

“Do you mind if I come along?” Betsy asked. “I’d like to stretch my legs before the fireworks start.”

“Oh, Tilly does such a marvelous job,” Ruthie said, always willing to enter a conversation. “I’d love to come see it again. Can we? Oh, please do let us see it,Tilly, it would just be splendid-”

“Bloody hell Ruthie, fine! You can come see the garden!”

Tavish was about to tell his mother that dinner was almost done and that maybe they could go see the garden afterwards, when Ruthie shoved Stu’s hand into his own. “You’re good with kids, right, Tavish? He doesn’t need much. We’ll only be gone a few minutes.”

Tavish didn’t have time to wonder where she’d gotten that impression when suddenly he was left alone in the kitchen with only Stu and Jane for company, and the three women disappeared out the door.

“So... what do we do with him?” Jane asked Tavish, as if he had forgotten the kid could hear him.

“Er….” Tavish looked down, Stu still clinging to his hand. “I dunno. Just watch him.”

Stu looked between the two of them, not terribly concerned, but a bit curious. He was looking at Tavish intensely now, small gears turning in his head. “Are you a pirate?”

Tavish was surprised that the boy could talk after all. “Ach, no, I’m just a factory worker. What about you? Are you a pirate?”

Stu blinked, like he’d never quite thought about it before. After a moment, he looked back up at Tavish. “I’m not sure. I don’t think so.”

“Well, that’s good to know. I don’t allow pirates in my house,” Tavish told him sternly, and he managed to get the boy to laugh. “Now, I don’t care what your granny said, do you want something to eat?”

“Yes please!”

Grumpily, Jane said, “dinner is in a half hour! Don't feed him too much.”

“It’s fine, just some fruit or crackers or something.” Tavish peered down at the kid. “You like apples? Bananas?”

“Banana.” Stu said, pointing at the fruit bowl on the counter.

Jane rolled his eyes, grabbing one of the bananas from the bunch and handing it to Stu. He waited, but Stu just held the banana in his hand.

“What's wrong?” Tavish asked nervously.

“I can't open it.” Stu mumbled.

Jane sighed, but he picked up the fruit, pulling back the peel before handing it back to Stu. With the fruit successfully opened, Stu started munching away at the banana.

As Jane busied himself with the steaks, Tavish puts some books on a chair so Stu could sit at the table. Now that he seemed comfortable, he was very talkative, asking their names, is this your house, is it his, do you have a dog?

“No, but we do have a cat. I could go find him for you, if you promise to be gentle.”

Stu pinkie promised, and Tavish went off.

-

The boy was happy to eat his banana slowly while he watched Jane work. The back patio was set up for the evening, furniture lugged out of the shed and spread around in the most aesthetically pleasing manner Jane had been able to manage.

“So, Stu,” Jane started, coming to sit at the table when the food was properly prepped. “Are you excited for the fireworks tonight?”

“Are there going to be fireworks?” Stu asked, tilting his head towards Jane.

“It's the Fourth of July, Stu! Of course there will be fireworks!”

“Really? My mom usually takes me to see them in the park.” Stu had finished his banana, and was left holding the peel while he stared at Jane in wonderment.

“Well, those sissy fireworks will be nothing compared to the ones you’ll see tonight. Me and Tavish, we're professionals, we know how to make a good explosion!”

Stu just nodded, eyes gleaming in excitement.

It was then that Tavish reappeared, carrying a mewling Sgt. Whiskers. The cat was friendly with everyone, but didn't appreciate being picked up by anyone but Jane. Tavish showed Stu how to hold the cat without making it uncomfortable. Jane remembered enough squashed frogs from his own youth to know kids weren’t generally good with animals, but the boy kept his promise, and eventually Whiskers accepted his fate that he was going to be cuddled for the foreseeable future.

“This is the best,” Stu told them. “Nana never takes me anywhere fun.” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Don’t tell my mommy I said this, but I like my other grandma better. She lets me watch Looney Tunes and makes good spaghetti.”

Jane made a zipping motion on his lips, and tried his best not to laugh. Stu wanted to follow him outside as he put the last steak on the grill, though Tavish made him put down the cat. The ruffled Sergeant bound off with an indignant “mrrr!”

None of the three women had returned yet, so Jane sat Stu on the couch, keeping a close eye.

“I was telling Stu about your fireworks,” Jane mentioned to Tavish, “want to give him any hints about what kinds he's going to see today?”

Stu immediately turned to Tavish, beaming. Tavish just shrugged. “And spill all my secrets? No, I suppose I’ll just keep you waiting until the show starts.”

“No! Please, I won’t tell anyone! I’m a magician, so I’m good at keeping secrets.”

Tavish grinned. “A magician aye? Well, what do you know about making things go poof?”

Stu frowned. “I haven’t got that far yet. Right now I’m working on card tricks.”

“Well, what I do is a lot of things going poof at once. Only they all go so much, it’s more like they’re going BOOM.” Stu’s eyes couldn’t be any wider. “Each one’s a little reaction, so tiny you can’t see it with the human eye, and it sets off the other reactions around it. It’s like I make a bunch of dominoes, and set them all up just right.”

“He makes it sound like magic, but it's just a bunch of science mumbo-jumbo,” Jane interrupted. “He makes stuff explode with a bunch of fire, and then the chemicals make the fire burn different colors.”

Tavish sighed, and tried to explain it again to Stu while still making himself sound much cooler than he actually was. Jane smiled, leaning to rest his elbows on his knees as he watched Tavish prattle on. It was always sweet seeing him like this. Jane didn't like to listen much to Tavish talking about anything too sciencey, but whenever someone was willing to listen, even if he couldn't describe it in the most technical terms, Tavish was always thrilled to bits.

It reminded Jane of when Tavish came home from work, bursting with excitement as he'd told Jane about the silly kitchen science experiments he'd done with his boss's kid. He had looked much the same then as he did now. Jane wished Tavish could look like that all the time. Tavish liked his job, but he didn't love it the way he had at RED.

He'd make a good teacher, Jane suddenly thought. He was so good with kids, and had so much more passion than what he could vaguely remember about his own teachers, but Tavish would never go for that. The wage would be lower than his current one, and he'd need a new certification. Not to mention that Tilly would hate it as well.

Jane sighed, eyes coming back into focus for a moment. Tavish was still talking to Stu, but it seemed it was Stu's turn to talk about his card tricks. Tavish seemed no less interested than he had been before, often asking Stu questions, and he offered to get a pack of cards after dinner so Stu could show off.

_He'd make a good dad too._

That thought jolted Jane a bit. It had been a while since he'd ruminated on it but it still made his stomach still twist in pity. Tavish loved kids, he desperately wanted to pass on his knowledge to someone, and he was just so good with them. Jane liked kids too, and though he wasn't quite as good with them, he could surely learn.

But that didn't matter anyway. There was no way someone would let a single man and his roommate adopt a kid, and who knew how Tilly felt about real adoption anyway- the kind that isn't just having temporary parents for the kid you abandoned.

There was no use thinking about it. Jane shook his head, but the thoughts stayed. Oh well, he'd probably forget soon enough once Stu went home with his grandma.

-

A long time had passed, and the women still weren’t back yet. Tavish didn’t mind. The kid was better company than he ever could have imagined- he liked to talk about his mom a lot, and Tavish was always up for the Maternal Headache train. Stu seemed like a good kid, and it saddened Tavish to hear all the stories he’d tell; it was apparent his mother didn’t have much time for him.

What a waste. The bitter thought came unbidden to Tavish’s mind. All this creativity in one little boy and neither his mother nor his grandmother seemed to realize it. Tavish knew he probably shouldn’t criticize other people’s parenting techniques but…

Despite what he had told Jane all those months ago, he wasn’t resentful to the idea of being a parent. Sure, it’d have a lot of baggage with the DeGroot family name, but the idea of being a father kept finding ways into his life. He glanced over at Jane, who was watching him and Stu serenely, and realized suddenly it was something Jane must want too.

It all made too much sense, Jane seemed to lose some of his gruff awkwardness around kids, being just as loud and enthusiastic himself, and it was damn good to see.

“Are you okay, Mr. DeGroot?” Stu asked him.

He jolted, realizing he hadn’t been paying attention to the card trick the boy had been showing him. The smell of finished steak washed over the patio, just as the sun was setting below the horizon.

Finally, Betsy and the other women returned.

“Just a few minutes, eh?” Tavish called to them.

Tilly grumbled something about mistreating plants under her breath, but Betsy didn't seem to notice.

“Steak should be ready in just a few minutes if you want it rare,” Jane interjected, getting up to inspect the barbecue. “Tavish, can you go grab the plates? I'm going to be busy here.”

“I can help!” Betsy chimed in, still a little tipsy it seemed, and eager to help.

Tavish ended up carrying most of the dishes, because he was chivalrous and also because he was much more practiced in intoxicated hand-eye coordination than her. “So, did you lasses really just talk about plants that whole time?”

“Mostly,” Betsy shrugged, carrying the few utensils Tavish had allowed her. “Ruthie and your mum started to gossip after a few minutes, but I didn't pay too much attention.”

By the time they were back outside Jane was ready to start dishing out food, slapping a steak and baked potato on everyone's plate before they headed to the table. Set up in the center was also a salad Tavish had picked up from the supermarket, since he insisted on having some sort of vegetable matter if they were having company over.

Soon everyone had their food plated, Stu with a slice of steak and chunk of potato taken from his grandmother, and dinner was underway.

Tavish still had his role to play, however. The fireworks were safely tucked a bit away, but it would be time to light them in just a while. The unexpected audience might have made Tavish self-conscious, but he was far too good at his job for that.

And anyway, the show was mostly for Jane. It was his favorite holiday, as anyone who spent more than twenty minutes with the man could have guessed. If Jane thought it was beautiful, Tavish would be happy, even if no one else did.

“Fantastic job on the steak, Jane,” Tavish grinned.

Mrs. DeGroot grunted. “Hmm. It’s a little tough in my opinion.”

“Mum.”

“It really is great, Jane,” Betsy said, “my dad considers himself a master of the grill, but I think he'd have some competition with you.”

“Thanks,” Jane grinned, slicing away at his own slab of meat.

They finished up, Ruthie doing enough talking that Tavish wouldn’t have to. He brought his plate inside but left the rest of the cleanup to Jane.

It was show time.

He pulled out the box from the shed and began to set it up. To his disappointment, he realized he wouldn’t be able to see Jane or Stu’s reactions to the fireworks if he was out here setting them off. He shook off the notion. It was that they enjoyed it that counted.

Within minutes, multicolored lights flew above the mansion.

Jane had taken a seat next to Stu again, as his grandmother seemed more interested in gossip with Tilly than the fireworks show. The red white and blue sparkled in the boy's eyes, who gaped in awe at the display.

Tavish turned to the sky for the rest of the display. He had really outdone himself. For Jane, he had stuck with the colours of America for the fireworks; there were the typical starbursts, and fizzlers, and ones that exploded in different shapes. Tavish set them off one after the other, leaving no downtime between explosions.

As amazing as fireworks were, they never lasted long. The show was soon over, and Tavish made his way back to the mansion. “So, how’d everyone like it?” he asked proudly as he walked back.

“Beautiful,” Mum said drily. Tavish frowned, not appreciating her sass.

“I thought it was great!” Stu said enthusiastically, which put a grin back on Tavish’s face.

“Did you, now?” Ruthie asked Stu, and the boy shrank in on himself. “Haven’t heard Stu speak more than two words since he’s been in town. It must have been really something.”

“Stu's been fine, he kept me company while the steak was cooking,” Jane said. He ruffled the kid's hair, and a little smile appeared on his face.

“Ah, good boy!” Ruthie said with delight. “I’m glad you behaved yourself.” Stu looked embarrassed, but not so much that he didn’t smile back at Jane.

The older women chatted a bit longer, but even Tilly’s Ruthie-tolerance was only so high. They said goodbye to her and Stu, since it was already past the boy’s bedtime, and Tilly said goodnight as well, retreating to her room.

“Well, today didn’t go exactly as planned,” Tavish admitted, “but it was nice of you to stop by, Betsy. Glad we got to know each other a little better.”

“I was glad to see you too, Tavish, but with how much Jane talks about you, I almost forgot we'd only met once!” She ignored Tavish's outstretched hand, stepping in to hug him instead. Tavish patted her back awkwardly, and she gave him some mercy by stepping back soon after.

“Are you sure you're okay to drive?” Jane asked.

“I'm fine, Jane. I know I'm a lightweight, but I didn't drink anything during dinner, so I should be fine.”

Jane nodded, hugging Betsy and thanking her for coming. He stood in the doorway with Tavish, and watched until she pulled out of the driveway and disappeared into the night.

“The fireworks were great Tavish,” Jane said as he flopped on the couch. “I loved them. Everyone did.”

“Well. I aim to please.”

He wanted to say that the fact Jane liked it was the most important part, but he wasn’t sure how to put it into words. It had been a good day. Betsy was a nice woman, Stu had been a breath of fresh air, and even Ruthie wasn’t as much of a hassle as she was sometimes. Tavish sighed, shifting against the armrest to get more comfortable.

“I was surprised Ruthie showed up,” Jane muttered offhandedly, sliding his arms around Tavish's neck as he sat down. “It was nice having Stu here though, this house is usually just full of old people.”

“Aye.”

Tavish felt a bit of apprehension in his stomach. He never kept anything from Jane, but he wasn’t sure if bringing up the kids thing again would be worth the trouble. After all, it would never go anywhere, so why dwell? Still, Jane had been right last time. Better to not let things fester in his mind.

“It would be nice to have a kid around,” he said bluntly.

Jane tensed, arms going stiff around Tavish's neck. “Yeah.”

Jane sighed, sliding down beside Tavish and leaning in for a kiss, a nice distraction for the sadness welling up. Tavish could tell, and was grateful. He returned the kiss, letting a good day melt into a good night, glad that they were both happy with where they were at. Sure, things weren’t perfect- nothing would ever be completely perfect- but he had Jane. That was enough.

They laid on the couch as the crickets came out, fireflies flickering outside the window.

“Happy Fourth of July, Janey.”


	14. Chapter 14

The next day, Jane woke with something nagging at the back of his mind. As he went through his morning workout, he thought about Betsy, and the baby that wasn’t hers anymore. He wondered what it was like all of a sudden for the baby's parents. Was it weird to have your kid grow away from you? To just suddenly have it just show up? But then again, it's not like they had much of a choice. Betsy did this for people that couldn't have kids otherwise. It must be a fine sacrifice to make if it meant they could have kids after all.

Jane blinked.

Could he and Tavish have a kid that way?

Sure they would only be one half of the equation, but… was it really that simple? Could that happen? He's have to ask Betsy, she knew about him and Tavish, and she was the only choice. But would she do it? As kind as Betsy was, Jane knew this would be a pretty big favor to ask.

As soon as the whirlwind of thoughts crossed his mind, he scrambled up from his forgotten pushup. He wanted to run back inside to wake Tavish up right away, but there was too high a chance this wouldn't work out, and he didn't want to get his hopes up. Plus, Demo was an honorable man, and he probably wouldn't let Jane ask Betsy in the first place.

So he'd have to keep this to himself, talk with Betsy in private, figure it out. Jane took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

-

As soon as Tavish left for work, Jane dashed over to the phone. He dialed Betsy's number with bated breath.

“Jane? I'm surprised to hear from you so soon!” Her voice crackled over the phone.

“Sorry Betsy, but it's something important. Can we meet up today?”

“Jane,” Betsy sighed, but tried to cover it up with a cough, “I'm back at work now, remember? I'd love to see you again soon, but I have places to be during the weekday now.”

“Oh. Right. I forgot.” Jane bit his lip. Sure, this wasn't technically urgent, but he needed to ask her soon, and he had to do it in person. “What about lunch? I could come to your work, go to a drive-through or something.”

Betsy was quiet on the other end of the call. Even without seeing him, she could also tell he was acting odd. “Alright, Jane. My break starts at one, but I have to be back at work before one-thirty.”

“Yeah! That's fine, I'll see you then.”

-

“So, where are we going?” Betsy asked expectantly.

“Uh,” Jane floundered. “ ...Why don’t you choose?”

Betsy's eyes narrowed a bit, but she didn't say anything. “Well, there is a place just down the street. It's best if we don't go too far.”

Jane nodded, pulling away from the curb and driving down the road. The place was only two blocks away, and they both ordered food at the drive-through before stopping in the parking lot.

“So, what's bothering you, Jane?” Betsy asked, not touching her fries.

“What? Nothing is wrong!" Not a lie, but it still made Jane shift his feet against the floormat anyway. Suddenly, he blurted, “Tavish wants kids.”

Betsy looked shocked, but then lowered her eyebrows in sympathy. “Jane...”

“No! No, not like that.” He put his hands up in front of him. “I do too! We didn’t break up or anything. I mean he doesn't want to say it, but I know he wants them. Every time he has a chance to be with kids he's just so happy, and they love him...”

He coughed into his hand, feeling Betsy’s eyes on him “So. I’m not sure how people go about asking this, but Betsy, would you be a surrogate for us?”

“Jane!” Betsy hissed, brows furrowed. “Are you crazy?”

The word crazy always made him wince, but he pushed through. “I know it's complicated! And I don't want to pressure you, this, I only realized last night...”

“Jane, do you even- you do realize only one of you can be the father, right? And then the egg needs to be mine! This would be my child too, Jane!”

“I do know that!” He stared at her, lump in his throat, words refusing to come out for a good ten second. Then, finally, “...I want to be a dad.” 

Betsy's eyes softened. Their food had gone cold, but neither one felt much like eating.

“Jane, take me back to work,” she said softly.

Jane pulled back into the same parking lot where he’d picked her up, the ride stretching into silence as Jane berated himself for making such an obvious mistake.

“Jane, I'm not mad,” Betsy said as she got out of the car.

“You're not?” He looked up at her. Betsy wore a face of pity.

“Jane, I just- I don't know. You're asking a lot of me. It would be so different from every other surrogacy I've done.”

Jane quirked the corner of his mouth, relieved to know she at least didn't hate him. “I don't want to pressure you, but I really had to ask you.”

“I understand, but I need to think about this. I need time. Alone.”

Jane nodded, and let Betsy exit the vehicle.

When she was gone, he leaned over the steering wheel, and his whole body went slack.

-

As the weeks rolled by with no word from Betsy, Jane realized he had probably scared off his only friend entirely. It was a punch to the gut, but as he doubled down on his routines, he decided he could bury his shame, if not get rid of it. If Tavish could tell he was devastated, he went for a series of distractions rather than confronting Jane’s moodiness outright.

“So,” he asked as he helped Jane make lunch one afternoon, "we’re going out then. I wanted to ask if there was anywhere in particular you’d like to go?”

“You're asking me?” Jane asked, hoping his voice came out chipper. “You're the expert in public drunkenness. I assumed you'd have a place all picked out.”

Tavish rubbed the back of his neck, leaning against the kitchen counter. “I do, but… well, no beating around the bush. I wanted to know if you’d want to go back to the gay bar. I’m not sure if I want to go back or not, so I’m letting you decide.”

“Well,” Jane started, suddenly feeling quite awkward himself. “I had a good time before, but I don’t want to go if you'll just be uncomfortable the whole time.” It came out more gruffly than he intended. “Just tell me what exactly gets these people so cranky." 

Tavish put a hand on Jane’s shoulder. “Look, don’t worry about it, aye? I may have been a bit too snappy last time, I was so focused on it going well I didn’t spare a dime to how you felt. Let’s go back, try not to fight, and talk to the folks there.” Tilting his head thoughtfully, he added, "you didn’t say anything that was too bad, you know. Just apologize to the bartender. I’m sure the other one won’t have hard feelings.”

“Alright,” Jane grumbled. He didn't like the idea of apologizing, but he'd do it if that would make Tavish happy.

-

They set off, their drive quiet much like last time. Tavish wondered how well an apology would go, and hoped the buff woman wouldn’t be there. Despite her and Jane’s friendliness, she had only succeeded in antagonizing the situation.

They parked their car outside and made their way in. Tavish and Jane found the spot they’d sat last time, looking around to see that the bar was still only lightly occupied. Marco hadn’t noticed them come in, and Tavish resisted the urge to hide his face.

“Hey, Marco!” Jane yelled. “I want to talk to you!”

Jane waved his arm over the bar, attracting a considerable amount of attention. Tavish hid his face behind his hand.

Marco turned, a brief look of surprise on his face, but he wasn’t immediately hostile. That was a relief, at least. In the month or so since they’d been here, Tavish had built up some pretty awful scenarios of this meeting, where the bartender would just have them thrown out on sight.

He coughed into his hand. “Jane, would you go get something from the car for me? Quickly?”

“But-” Jane grunted. “...fine. What do you need me to get?”

“I need my… comb. Can't go to a bar without looking my best, aye?” He shoved the keys into Jane’s hands. “Just spend five minutes looking for it, alright?”

“Uh.” Jane blinked, eyes wandering over the cap Tavish wore. “Sure. I'll go check.” He was out the door just in time for Marco to come over.

“Hey. I didn’t expect to see you guys back here.” The bartender’s inflection was politely neutral, and Tavish couldn’t be sure if he was accusing them or just pointing out how long it’d been.

“Well. Yeah. Here we are.” Tavish shook himself. “Er, listen, Marco. I’m really sorry about last time.” Marco blinked, but otherwise offered no reaction. “Jane sees the world differently. I know that and my family knows that, and we love him for it, but sometimes we forget not everyone is used to him. He can be a right prick sometimes, but he always means well, and I’m sorry for the way he was talking about your mate last time.”

Marco looked more overwhelmed by all the words at once than anything, and took a couple seconds to soak it all in. “Well, I-”

“All I’m saying is give him another chance, aye? He’s a good man under all the bluster.”

That was all the explanation Tavish was allowed, as just then Jane returned.

“Sorry, Tavish, I couldn't find a comb,” he apologized. Tavish was about to tell him it was fine, when Jane whipped a fork out of his pocket. “I found this though, it should work about the same right?”

Tavish let Jane place it into his hand.

“You there!” Jane continued, noticing Marco. “I will now apologize for last time. I was told that the things I said hurt your feelings. I am sorry.”

Marco looked between the two of them, like he was trying to detect any hint of sarcasm in Jane’s apparently open apology. Finally, his eyes rested on Jane. “…thanks for saying that, at least. But Alex was the one who you’ve pissed off, not me. So, if he’s willing to let bygones be bygones, then so am I.”

Jane's grin morphed into something a bit more flat. “Alright. Is Alex here? I'd like to talk to him too.”

“He’s not in today. He’ll come by around closing to drive me home, though, if you want to stick around.” Marco looked at Jane with curiosity, something a little warmer than before. “I appreciate you trying.”

Tavish patted Jane on the back to reassure him that he was doing the right thing. With that over for now Jane ordered himself a drink, relaxing a bit more on the bar stool and settling in.

-

Jane decided the place wasn’t nearly as insidious as he’d originally thought. The drinks were good and the music was okay, and he found himself shooting Tavish fond looks every other minute.

Then someone started playing a guitar on stage, and Jane realized what he’d like to do.

Slowly, with a bit of hesitation, Jane reached over to take Tavish's hand in his own. That's what this was all about anyway right? They were sick of keeping everything a secret, and this was supposed to be a break. Being here with all these other people just like them was a chance to be more open and affectionate in public. Maybe he'd sort of forgotten that last time.

As Jane’s hand closed around Tavish’s, the demoman perked his, a stupid smile crossing his face as he looked over at Jane.

Jane grinned back. “You big sap,” he grumbled, pretending to sound annoyed. He shifted slightly, bringing their stools closer together and letting them intertwine their fingers more comfortably. On some level his stomach still twisted while thinking about being seen, but if he just looked at how happy Tavish was it was easy enough to forget.

As the night wore on, Marco seemed to warm up to them once again, dropping by to check how they were doing. To Jane’s surprise, the bar also began to fill up, and more than half the seats were taken by nine-thirty. Folks plopped down on either side of them, and Jane stiffened each time, but Tavish squeezed his hand to let him know it was okay.

Even as the clock struck eleven, people stayed around. Marco introduced a few, but there were so many faces and names it was all a blur. He let his hand fall off Tavish’s, and instead leaned into his shoulder.

“I’m not going to be good to drive much longer, you know.” Tavish pushed a finger against Jane’s finished bottle. “From the looks of things, you might not be either. If you want to wait to see Alex, we could just grab a hotel in town.”

“Are you propositioning me Mr. DeGroot?” Jane slurred. His eye were half-lidded, and he smirked.

Tavish snorted, but dropped his voice to match Jane’s. “Well, I see a very attractive man at the bar. Said man likes me too. Seems only natural that we should spend a night together, see where it goes?” He nudged his forehead against Jane’s.

Jane burst into a fit of chuckles, fueled by both the beer and Tavish's antics. “Sounds good to me.” Jane leaned even closer, then pressed their mouths together in a warm kiss. He'd forgotten about the people around them, just overwhelmed by the sudden need for contact. Soon he pulled back, wiping a bit of beer from the corner of his mouth.

“Traitor. Initiating drunken kisses is my thing.” Tavish pushed his stool out. “If we have an arrangement, I’m going to go let Mum know we’ll be back in the morning.” He walked off to find a payphone.

“Tell her to feed Sergeant Whiskers!” Jane yelled, receiving a thumbs up before Tavish disappeared into the back where the phones were kept.

He sighed. Tavish leaving always killed his buzz; the two of them fed off each other's energy. Jane stared down at his drink, gulping down the rest of it and then ordering a glass of water. It was probably time to stop drinking for the night.

“Oh, hey,” Marco said, somewhere on Jane’s left. “You’re here early. Last call isn’t for another hour.”

Alex appeared almost suddenly, not wearing his apron but looking just as disheveled as ever. “Meh, I wasn’t doing anything. Thought I could help you guys clean up after the show.” 

Jane straightened up at the sight of him. He knew this was an important moment, but with the drinks in him it was a struggle to take this seriously. “Alex? Alex, right? I need to say something to you.”

Marco muttered something quietly into Alex’s ear. He frowned, briefly annoyed, then just shrugged. “Okay. Whatcha got?”

“I- ok. Uh...” Jane tried to collect his thoughts, most of which were drowning in alcohol. “It's come to my attention that I said some things last time. Some rude things. About the military. Look, I just want to say I'm sorry for that.” Jane tried to think of something else to say, but he was out of ideas. “Yeah. I'm sorry.” He blinked at Alex expectantly.

When Alex didn’t say anything, Marco leaned over and whispered to him again. Alex rolled his eyes. “Yeah, thanks mom, “ he huffed at Marco, but his gaze softened.

“Well, thanks for apologizing. And I guess we all gotta try and not be dicks to each other so I’ll let it go. But just don’t like, be an ass about it again, and we can be cool.”

Jane swallowed a comment around the lines of 'I'm not an ass!' and instead just nodded. “Alright. Thanks.” He held out his right hand and smiled, trying to look as sincere as possible.

There was a brief realization of _oh right, old people shake hands_ on Alex’s face before he took Jane’s. The shake was brief and firm, and the two men let go on much better terms. Tavish came back just in time to witness it.

“So, you worked things out then?” Tavish’s question was directed at Jane, but his eye lingered between Alex and Marco, still smiling apologetically.

“I guess,” Jane shrugged. “I talked to him at least, I apologized.”

“Yeah we’re cool,” Alex said finally, and Marco looked visibly relieved.

Tavish smiled, and wrapped an arm over the swaying Soldier to steady him, grinning at their bartenders. “That’s great to hear. If I’m being honest with you, we only stayed late because Jane wanted to apologize. Now that he’s gotten that off his chest, I think we best be heading out.”

“You alright to drive all the way back down there?” Marco asked skeptically.

“I just made some reservations for a motel in town,” Tavish assured. “But thanks for your concern. What do you say, Janey? Ready to head home?”

“The motel isn't home,” Jane grumbled, “But yes, I'd like to move to our next base of operations.” He leaned heavily on Tavish, tucking his head on his shoulder. Maybe he could get used to this public affection thing after all.

-

The next Saturday was yet another one for the mansion. Tavish had retreated to his workshop to work on some new prototype detonation system he'd come up with, and Jane was down in the kitchen washing the dishes from breakfast. He was just drying off the dishes when there was a knock at the door. It was so unexpected that Jane paused and waited for a second set of knocks before putting down the dish and making his way to the living room.

What was even more unexpected was who was at the door. 

“Betsy? Why are out here?” Jane was stunned. He had no idea how long it was going to be until she was done needing space, but he had expected her to call, not just show up.

“Jane, I've made a decision, but I wanted to talk about it in person.” Her face was stern, mouth set in a firm line. “Is Tavish home?”

“Yeah, he's up in his workshop. Come in.” Jane stepped back and let Betsy come inside. He led her into the kitchen, where she took a seat at the table. “Tea? Coffee?”

“No thanks, Jane. I just want to talk.” The more he stared at her the less Betsy looked stern, and the more she looked nervous, which didn't help the anxiety now rolling around in his stomach.

“Okay,” Jane said, taking a seat across from her. He sat strung tight like a bow as he waited for her to speak.

“Well, I've taken a lot of time to think about this. A lot of time, and I wanted to tell you my decision." She drew in a deep breath. "I've decided I'll do it. There are still a lot of things we need to talk about beforehand, but I will be your surrogate.”

Jane could hardly believe what he'd heard. “Seriously? I don't want you to... you don't have to... I...” His hands trembled.

“No, Jane... I want to. The more I thought about it, the more I realized this is the same as every other time. I do this because I love knowing how happy the couple is being able to have a child, and the two of you are no different. Plus, you're my friend, and I really do want to help you.” The corners of her eyes crinkled warmly.

“Betsy, I-” Jane sputtered, heart still pounding from excitement. “I... God, I can’t...” His hands were up in his hair.

Betsy laughed. “I figured you might react like that. There are some conditions I have, since this is a unique situation, but I think it would be better to talk about with both you and Tavish...”

Right. Tavish. Jane had to tell Tavish.

“Right! He needs to know about this! I haven't told him yet- I know he wants this, but- I don't know how he's going to react.” Jane blinked at Betsy, but she just shrugged at him. “Okay. I’m just going to go up and tell him.”

“Good idea, Jane. I think you two are going to need some time to process this, so I'll head out. Call me when you want to talk more about it.” 

Jane nodded, but found saying anything more beyond his current state. That was exhausting… and now he had to get the other most important person on board.

-

“Hey, are you busy?”

Tavish didn’t look up. He was holding a measurement of potassium chloride, wanting to get the proportions perfect for the new detonations test. “A little. Why, is it important?”

“Yes. I…” Jane swallowed. “Yes. It is.”

Frowning, Tavish carefully set down the substance.“You alright Jane? I didn’t mean to be rude, I was just concentrating on my work.” Now that he was looking at Jane—standing like a deer in the headlights—he could see how nervous his Jane was. Tavish walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. “Is something the matter? You look like you just ate paint again.”

Jane choked. “Can we go downstairs? I need to tell you something. And we should both be sitting down.”

“Of course.” Tavish followed Jane downstairs, and pulled out a kitchen chair for the both of them. This wasn’t the first time Jane had acted strangely in the past week, seemingly for no reason, and brushing Tavish off when he tried to ask why. But considering the way Jane had brought up the subject on his own this time, Tavish had the suspicion that he was about to learn the truth. “Has something been eating you?”

Jane blinked. “Oh, yeah. It's related to that. Well it's exactly that, sort of...” Jane huffed, looking down at his hands curled in his lap. “Have you thought about kids at all recently? Y'know, since the Fourth of July?”

“I- er, no, I haven’t.”

Is that what had been troubling him? Now that Tavish came to think of it, this whole thing had started after they’d spent all that time with Stu. Tavish felt guilty; he shouldn’t have been so blunt about having kids around, it’d obviously been something Jane had been fussing about.

“Have you? Because you don’t need to worry about it, mate. It’s not a big deal to me.” Tavish frowned, scratching his beard. Jane wanted kids himself, he’d said as much a number of times. “I, er, I mean, if that’s what you were worried about. I’m guessing it’s more than that, though.”

“Yeah. I just, uh, wanted to confirm.” Jane got up out of his chair and into one closer to Tavish. “You know, we can have a kid. If we really want to.”

Tavish couldn’t help the small frown at the corner of his mouth. “Jane I really don’t think any adoption agency would consider either of us suitable.”

“No! Tavish, I'm serious!” Jane tried not to be offended, because before meeting Betsy he might have thought the same thing. He grabbed Tavish's hands, trying to make eye contact again. “It's Betsy! I asked her, and she agreed to be a surrogate for us. One of us can be the father, and she'll do all the woman stuff, and when it's born the kid will be ours!”

Tavish didn’t say anything. His mind was moving too slow, trying to figure out what Jane was talking about.

“Tavish?” Jane pressed. “I know it's sudden, but it's real. Betsy took time to figure it out.” He squeezed Tavish's hands a little tighter.

“What did she say?” When Tavish finally spoke, his voice was low. When Jane just blinked at him in surprise, Tavish stared right at him. “What exactly did she say?”

“Well, I mean, it was my idea.” Jane backtracked. “I realized it after the barbecue, I talked to Betsy and I asked her if she would be a surrogate for us. I mean, it can happen. She was sort of mad at first, I think she thought I didn't understand, but I did. Then she said she would think about it. That's why I was acting so strange. I was waiting to hear back from her. So today she showed up, when you were up in your workshop, and she said she would be our surrogate. That's it. She wants to discuss it more with us, but... she'll do it.” 

“I…” Tavish’s first reaction of disbelief had faded, becoming muddled in a slew of others that surged from his stomach like bile. A surrogate. Betsy would have a kid and it would be one of theirs. And she would do that because… she liked them? She was kind and altruistic, but she’d still only known them for less than a year. “You think?”

“Well, I've never heard her lie.” Jane laughed, rubbing his thumbs over the back of Tavish's hands. “She said that the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to do it. As long as you want it too.”

Tavish looked down at where Jane was rubbing his hands, and adjusted them so he could squeeze Jane’s in turn. He still wasn’t sure how to process the news. “I do. That’s why you asked me to start this all off, aye? It’s just too good to be true.” Tavish’s mind replayed Jane’s words over and over again until he frowned. “But only one of us would be the kid’s real Da.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Jane shrugged, as though Tavish were just commenting on the paint in the room or something equally unimportant. “I think that's part of what we need to discuss, but the main thing is that no matter who is, we’ll still be parents, right?”

“Well-” Tavish’s words stumbled over one another. “What about, you know, us? The three of us can keep a secret, but what about when the kid starts talking on the playground about how they have _two_ Das’?”

Jane shrugged again. “I thought we could just homeschool them? That’s some sort of stuff you’d be into, right?”

“Oh, hell,” Tavish wiped away the tear forming in his eye, unable to help himself as the realization washed over him. Was this really happening? This was impossible, even if Jane was saying was true. It was too soon for this much hope. “Bloody hell. Can we really do this?”

“Yeah, I think we can.” Jane grinned with all his teeth. “We can call and meet Betsy whenever we feel ready, in order to talk about stuff.”

Tavish cried hard now. There was still that veil of disbelief trying to hold him back, but he didn’t have the self-control for that right now. He kicked back his chair, stood up, and squeezed Jane. Hard.

“Fucking Christ I- I don’t even know what to say. Could we…could we talk to her right now? There’s so much I want to figure out.”

“I just sent her home,” Jane tried to peel Tavish off him so they could look at one another, “and I honestly don't think it's a good idea. We should be level headed for this. I think that's important.”

“Dammit, Jane, you can’t just get my hopes up like this and then not let me go rush headlong into the situation.” Tavish let a smile prick his lips. “Fine. We’ll wait. I think I need a drink of water. Or bourbon. Either way, I don’t think I can go back to working on my detonator.”


	15. Chapter 15

“It's great to see you two,” Betsy greeted as she opened the door for Jane and Tavish. She hugged each of them in succession, much to Tavish’s discomfort.

“Thanks for meeting with us on such short notice,” he said lamely. Jane, at the very least seemed comfortable here.

“It's a bit early for lunch. Jane, why don't you go put those in the fridge and I'll make us some tea?” she asked, indicating the sandwiches Jane had brought. “Make yourself at home Tavish.”

That turned out to be easier said than done as she and Jane left for the kitchen. He was still standing when they got back, staring at the barewalls.

“You can sit down, you know.” Jane said upon re-entering. “Just avoid that chair. Sunshine likes to sleep there.”

“Er, Sunshine? Oh, right. Cats,” Tavish said as he noticed Chloe waltz out of the bedroom.

He found a spot on the couch and gently held out a hand for her. The cat nuzzled up immediately, sniffing him all over for the scent of Whiskers.

“That’s a pretty kitty,” he cooed, used to babying the Sergeant. “Sunshine, I presume?”

Jane laughed. “No, that's Chloe. She's the nice one. Sunshine wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole. There's also Pumpkin, she's probably around here somewhere.” Jane was just about to start looking for the cat when Betsy returned with a full tea set.

“I hope you like lavender tea. I've heard it's calming.” The look on Betsy's face suggested that she knew they likely needed something to calm them down.

“Mm.” Tea was good. It was familiar, and like Betsy had predicted, he relaxed after the first sip.

Tavish watched Jane take a drink, and realized he had no idea how to start this. Supposedly there was about to be a lot of negotiating. Negotiating about babies. God, he couldn’t do this. He looked to Jane to take the lead.

Jane blinked back, then shrugged. “I don't know where to start.”

She smiled over her own cup of tea, “That's okay, I wouldn't expect you to. This is new, after all.” She paused to take a sip. “And though I have experience, this is new for me too, but I think we can work through it together right?”

Jane and Tavish both nodded.

“Good. Now, I want to start by saying that I have conditions regarding this process. I don't believe it's anything that will affect your decision, but I think it's important to go over anyway. These are just some things I will need for my own well being, physically and emotionally. The first being that I always have a minimum time between pregnancies to let myself recover. So I won’t be ready until the end of summer.”

It sounded as though she had rehearsed this speech. Tavish exchanged a look with Jane, then shook his head. “That’s fine. As anxious as we are, we don’t want to rush you. Like I said before, we know you’re going to be going through a lot, so take all the rest you need.”

End of the summer. Now that there was a concrete date, it seemed so soon. They’d have to get their act together by then, be prepared to be all… fatherly. Well, they’d still have another nine months to get ready, but to have it set in stone in only six weeks…

.

“That's assuming you want this baby as soon as possible,” she clarified.

“Of course! We're not getting any younger,” Jane laughed, and Tavish tried to join him

“Well since that's out of the way I think we need to discuss more legal things. Not so fun, but definitely necessary. See, when I surrogate for a couple the baby is always legally theirs. However, if I'm the biological mother then at birth both I, and whichever of you is the father, will be signing the birth certificate. We need to find a lawyer at some point before this kid is born, so we can make sure I'll be able to sign over my parental rights to whoever is the father. I in no way want to cause problems, but with all the hormones that happen during birth, and the fact it’ll be mine... I can't really guarantee how logically I'll be able to act.”

Jane scratched his head. “So, that makes sense and everything, but will it be weird for you? Giving up a kid that's technically your own?”

“Maybe,” Betsy sighed. “I don't really know. What I do know is that no matter how I feel in that moment, in the end I don't want to be a mother. They will be yours through and through. But I suppose I would like to see them and visit. I mean, we visit often enough anyway, I don't think ot would be too strange.”

“Of course.” It was all so surreal, the formality of it, but that at least was something Tavish knew for sure. “I don’t think we’ll explain the whole thing to the kid right away, it’ll just know that Jane and are it’s, er, dads? But it’d be great if you’d still want to be a part of its life.”

Explaining it to the kid had cropped up in Tavish’s thoughts last night, but he waved it away now. That was a problem for another day, and they had plenty of things to work out now. To sit here and calmly talk about how she might act “irrationally” when the baby was born, that took nerves of steel. He gave her an appreciative smile.

“As for lawyers, I can try to find one. Not a big fan of those suits, but they listen to money, and we’ll make ‘em dance if we have to.” Tavish looked over at Jane. “Both of those stipulations sound good to you?”

Jane nodded vigorously.

“I'm glad you understand.” Betsy looked relieved, as if she thought the word 'lawyer' might throw them off. “Now for the rougher parts. Now, I do this for free, but you two will still be responsible for the cost of the procedure, as well as all appointments and necessary vitamins and medications...”

That sent some worms in Tavish’s stomach. He trusted Betsy now, he did, but her words set off his old apprehension about “buying kids.” He looked over at Jane, hoping he’d agree for both of them and Tavish wouldn’t have to think about it, but Jane just stared back.

“I…” he held in a breath before exhaling through his nose. Then, he nodded, willing to take the leap of faith. “If you say it all goes towards the baby, then I trust you.”

Betsy smiled. “Look, I understand how you feel. Trust me, talking about money is always the worst part of this process. Just feel free to ask me about anything, alright? That's almost two months to think about it.”

“Thanks Betsy,” he said with as much gratitude as he could muster. Two months was plenty of time. He put a hand over Jane’s.

“Thank you,” Jane finished for them both. “That’s all I can think of. Thanks for talking with us on such short notice.”

There was a lot to think about, but nothing that they needed Betsy for at the moment. Tavish stood up and shook her hand. “Care for some lunch now? It was killer not to eat those sandwiches on the way over.”

\---------

Tavish grimaced as he pushed the door in to the mansion. “So. Lawyers.”

“Wasn't the RED Soldier a lawyer?” Jane asked, but shook his head soon after, “No... wrong kind.” Plus, he wasn’t a fan of his RED counterpart, no matter if he and Tavish had been friends. The man always gave him an uncanny feeling.

“I wish I’d asked what exactly procedure involves,” Tavish mused regretfully. “I really hope I don’t have to stick my prick into one of those giant squish machines.”

Jane snorted, dropping onto the living room couch. “If you need to crush your dick to have a kid then you're definitely going to be the father.”

Tavish shrugged. “I’m assuming it’s going to be random, right? Should’ve asked about that too. Because they need a lot of…” Tavish waved his hand. “The stuff.”

“You want it to be random?” Jane asked, surprised. “Why? I mean, it's not like we won't be able to tell when it's born.”

Tavish gave him a look. “Well, what’s the other option? Deciding which of us should be the dad beforehand? I wouldn’t even know how to make that choice. At least…” he raised his eyebrow at Jane. “You had some particular inclination towards it?”

“No, not really.” Jane frowned. “It's the opposite really. Shouldn’t you want to be the one? I mean, it's that whole ‘DeGroot Legacy’ is your thing, isn’t it? I think we'd both love the kid regardless, but it makes more sense for it to be related to you by blood.”

Tavish cocked his head at Jane. “I suppose you have a point, especially with inheritance and all. But are you sure you don’t want to just randomize it? I don’t want you feeling jilted halfway through the pregnancy because we didn’t give you a fair shot.”

“I wouldn't feel that way,” Jane said, a bit too quickly. He swallowed, and squared his shoulders. “Kid’s going to be great if it’s half you.”

“You’re sweet,” Tavish said, leaning down to kiss Jane on the cheek. “Well, if you’re sure, I don’t see any reason why we can’t go with it. With that in mind, I should start practicing what I’m going to say to Mum.”

“Practice saying _what_ exactly?” Mum’s voice made them both jump, and they looked around behind the couch. She had just come in through the back door, hearing as sharp as ever.

Tavish shot Jane a look, to which Jane made a _go on_ motion. “Nothing. I’d like to tell you something important now though, if you have a moment.”

Mum stepped into the living room and folded her arms. “I’m listening.”

Jane made his exit. The three of them might be a family, but this was something Tilly needed to hear from her son.

-

When Tavish came upstairs, Jane was busy dragging a toy up and down the hallway for Whiskers. “How'd it go?”

“Hmm? Er, well.” Tavish slipped his hands into his pockets. “Good actually. But uh, something occurred to me while we were talking and… why do you want me to be the dad so bad?”

Jane shifted uncomfortably. “Because it makes sense, doesn't it?”

“It does, but...” Tavish cast his gaze towards one of the ceremonial DeGroot swords hanging on the wall. “Jane. Please. I just wanted to make sure I’m not making a decision without knowing how everyone really feels.”

Jane forced a laugh. “I think we'll both be equally bad at being parents at first, being related doesn't change parenting skills.” He avoided eye contact with Tavish, going into the cat's room to deposit his toy back in its place, much to Sarge's disappointment.

“Jane. You’re a terrible liar,” Tavish continued, following Jane along. “If something’s up can you just tell me? I promise whatever is going through your head right now I’d like to hear it.”

“Why are you pushing this?” Jane spat, shoving the toy back into the closet. “Can't you just be happy that you get to be the dad? Why does this have to be a big issue?”

Tavish followed him again. “I’m sorry Jane. Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine, but I’m not moving forward on this if you’re not giving it to me straight. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.

Tavish was halfway down the hall before Jane spoke again.

“Wait,” he said, stopping Tavish in his tracks. God, Jane didn't want to talk about this. It was embarrassing, and invited all that unwanted pity from Tavish that he hated so much. Jane went back out into the hall with him, staring awkwardly at Tavish's back.

“It's just the uh, genetics, right?” Jane struggled for the right wording, “Mine are no good, it just doesn't make sense for me to… you know. Pass that along.”

Tavish turned back around slowly, raising an eyebrow. “No good? What does that mean?”

When Tavish put a hand on his shoulder, Jane jerked away from his touch. He really didn’t want pity right now.

“You know what I mean.” Jane said slowly, waiting for some sort of nod of understanding that never came. He huffed in irritation, running a hand through his hair. “My strength on the battlefield is my only outstanding feature. Our kid needs more than that. Like how you can do science crap, or bullshit people.”

“Jane, come on now. That stuff’s not important. And even if it were, there’s so much good you’ve got going on in here.” Tavish tapped Jane’s chest. “You’re sweet. You’re hilarious. And you’re more determined than a donkey in the rain. Besides, even all that stuff weren’t true about you, how do you know that’s all genetic?”

Jane looked away. “My father.”

Tavish’s face fell. Jane didn’t talk much about his family, but that was enough for Tavish to get the picture. Yet still, he put his hands against Jane’s arms,, above the elbows, so they were facing directly in front of each other. “You’re not him.”

The shock slowly dissipated, and Jane felt himself relax.

“I know,” he said, stepping closer to circle his arms around Tavish's waist, and press his cheek to his shoulder. “I just don’t want to pass that along.”

Tavish made sure to rub soothing motions on Jane’s back, kissing the top of his head every now and again. “Jane, I’m not trying to have you make a different decision, but I don’t know how comfortable I am being the biological dad if it’s only because you feel that way. I’m not saying we don’t do this but… maybe we should just take a bit more time?”

Jane sagged, “If you want to wait, then we can wait. But Betsy will probably have another kid in the meantime if we wait too long.”

“I doubt that,” Tavish promised. “Betsy will understand. She gave us plenty of time, and she knows it’s a big decision.”

“That's not what I meant,” Jane sighed, but didn't feel like arguing with him.

Soon a loud meowing drew Jane's attention. Sgt. Whiskers seemed to have been watching the entire interaction, waiting for it to be over so he could beg for his toy back.

“Alright, alright,” Jane grumbled, disentangling himself from Tavish. “What do you want? The feathers or the mouse?”

\---------------------

“Jane! Where are you? Got something for you!”

The call came from downstairs, and Jane appeared at the top of the steps to see Tavish home from work early. He cocked his head, noticing that he was hiding something suspiciously behind his back.

“What did you get?” he asked, coming down the stairs. Whiskers followed close behind.

Tavish gleefully passed a pair of bags into Jane’s outstretched hands. “Open whichever one you like. They’re a set”

Jane judged both bags before dipping into one and drawing out a Polaroid camera.

He blinked, turning around the box in his hands. He found the seam of the box to try and open it, only to discover it was still taped shut. “Is this really a camera?” He asked- he had assumed the box was being used to hold something else. Realizing the box was correct, he inspected it a little closer. It was a higher end model than the one he'd rented before.

“Wow. This... this is a nice one. You really want me to take more pictures?” Jane wasn't a great photographer, but he got the job done. And as someone who'd lost a lot of his memories over time, capturing important moments always felt special to him.

“I do,” Tavish nodded. “I spent a lot of time with that book you made me since Smissmas, and it made think hard about getting you something to help you make more like it. I just really appreciated how much you… saved.”

Jane beamed. He had thought Tavish had liked it, but it was great to hear it from the horse’s mouth.

Tavish coughed in light of the radiant smile. “The other one builds on that.” He indicated unsubtly to the other bag.

Jane put the camera down on a nearby table, and then opened up the other bag, drawing out what was inside. He cocked his head, it seemed like a giant book, and it was decorated with bright pastel colors.

“What is it?” Jane asked.

“It’s a baby book,” Tavish explained. He stepped beside Jane, opening it in Jane’s hands. “It’s got all sorts of prompts and stuff, going through each stop of the baby’s first year. See?” Tavish turned to a place near the middle of the book. “This is where you can put pictures when they start to talk. And here,” Tavish flipped to the end. “Is their first birthday. It’ a spot to put all the photos, or just ideas for what you want to take pictures of.”

“This- this is really happening.” The reality of having a kid hit Jane like a truck , and his hands started to shake. He closed the book and placed it on the table before yanking Tavish into a tight hug. “It’s a wonderful gift.”

Tavish held on for a moment, then put Jane at arm’s length. “It’s been a while, and I thought… maybe we could talk about it again?”

Jane looked away, but the time to think had been good for him. That and a few conversations with Tilly had helped him through some of his anxieties. “Yeah. I guess.” He let out a breath of hot air. “I’m okay with it. Being random. Or at least, I’m at peace.”

“That’s good to hear. I didn’t want to go through with it if I thought I’d be the only who got a fair shake.” Tavish cast his gaze at the camera, now sitting next to the baby book. “You ready to talk to Betsy about it?”

The end of the summer was closing in fast. Jane swallowed. “Yeah. I’m ready.” Ready to be a dad.

\----------------------

“You know,” Tavish said as they drove back from another one of their nights at the bar, “once the baby’s here , we won’t be able to do this as often. We’ll have to start acting like real adults.”

“Who says real adults can't have fun?” Jane joked, nudging Tavish with his elbow. “It'll be worth it though, don't you think?”

“Aye. It will. If I had doubts that it would, I wouldn’t be cut out for parenthood.” Tavish looked at the road before them, dotted with the occasional headlight from a car in the opposite direction. “Responsibility always seemed like a dread word, something I’d never live up to. But this? This is a blessing, something can’t believe I get to share with you.”

-

“If she doesn’t call, it means bad news,” Jane grunted over dinner, poking at his mashed potatoes, a few days after Betsy had started going to the clinic. “Yeah, she goes in for another test in three days, but if it's not positive now why would it be then? I don't get it.”

“They want to be extra sure, is all,” Tavish said. “It’d be bad to assume there’s no baby, and then a few weeks later be all ‘whoops, our mistake!’”

Jane poked at his mashed potatoes, putting on a generous helping of butter when he heard the phone ring. He froze, staying in place instead of running to it as usual. The phone rang again.

“I can't. If that's another salesperson I’m going to start snapping spines.” He looked over at Tavish. “You do it.” Jane clenched his utensils so tightly he almost expected an imprint of his hand to be left behind.

As Tavish rose, he squeezed Jane’s hand comfortingly and walked to the phone.

“Evening, DeGroot residence,” he told the phone as calmly as possible. He listened patiently before following up with a, “he’s here, but er, a little nervous right now.”

Jane’s heart leapt into his chest.

Tavish twisted the phone cord, glancing over his shoulder every now and again, while Jane started at him from the table. Betsy’s voice could distantly be heard, and Jane was about ready to burst until Tavish gasped.

At that, Jane bolted from his chair and snatched the phone from Tavish's hands.

“Betsy!”

“Jane!”

“Betsy, are you-”

“Yes! I'm pregnant! You’re going to be a father!”

“Oh my god, I'll call you back.” He slammed the phone down on the receiver. “Tavish. Tavish. Holy shit. Tell me this is real.” Jane said to Tavish, who was also standing there looking quite stunned.

“It’s real,” Tavish agreed after a second. He grabbed Jane by the shoulders and held him at arm's length. “We’re going to be parents.”

Jane was smiling so wide he felt like he was about to explode, no room to feel guilty about hanging up on Betsy like that. The quaking excitement in him couldn’t be held back any longer, and he yanked Tavish forward into a kiss. He wrapped his arms around Tavish's waist and squeezed him tight. This was real, this was insane, and he was so damn happy it was happening.

He broke the kiss, and leaned back slightly to look Tavish in the eye. “God. This just means more waiting, doesn't it?” He laughed, slightly giddy. “There's going to be books to buy, furniture to build, appointments to go to... everything is going to be different now, isn't it?”

“Aye.” Tavish brought a hand to the side of Jane’s face. “But good different. We’re going to tackle this whole thing just like we handle everything: with so much bloody enthusiasm, they’ll have no choice but to say we’re doing it right.”


	16. Chapter 16

Tavish was looking through catalogues for baby furniture one night, flipping page by page over the fancy cribs it was selling.

“Ach, so many whistles and doo-dads. Maybe you and Mum should just go to the flea market and get a cheap one,” he told Jane, who had just entered the living room to take a break before dinner. “After all, we’re not going to be using it all that much.”

“What do you mean?” Jane asked, leaning over the back of the couch to peer at the pictures in the catalogue.

“I just mean there’s all these bells and whistles. Look at this!” Tavish smacked the back of his hand against the page. “Why does it need a built in water bottle? This a baby, not a hamster.”

Jane chuckled a bit, “Well that is a bit strange, but we should still get something good right? Y'know, sturdy or something, made in America.”

“Well, you can get something sturdy if you want. I just think it’s a waste of money since we’ll only use it for, what? Three months?” Tavish shook his head and turned the page.

“Why three months?” Jane asked, brows furrowing. “You may be reading some different baby books than I am, but I'm pretty sure they need a crib for longer than three months.”

Tavish raised an eyebrow at him. “Well yeah, but that’s not our problem after that.” When Jane still stared at him in confusion, Tavish had a sinking realization in his stomach. “Jane? You know we have to give the kid up eventually, don’t you?”

“Wait what? What do you-” Jane froze, realization suddenly dawning on him. “Your not talking about that stupid Scottish demoman tradition of giving their kid away are you? Tavish! You can't be serious!”

Tavish’s face darkened. A second ago he had been willing to offer some consoling words, that he was sorry he hadn’t brought it up sooner, and he thought Jane already knew. But…“ Stupid, huh? You better watch yourself Jane, that’s me families whole legacy right there. The whole thing is tradition.”

“Since when do you care about tradition? THIS tradition?” Jane straightened up from the couch. “You wanted a kid so bad, and now you just want to just give it up as soon as we get it? What is wrong with you?!”

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you ?” Tavish stood up, glaring at Jane. “What about all that about making sure the kid’s a DeGroot? You said you wanted it to be part of my family too!”

“I can guarantee you that I never agreed to giving this kid away.” Jane said in a low voice. “I agreed to being a parent WITH you, not watching you have a kid and then shipping it overseas. How could you ever think I would be ok with that?!”

Tavish blustered, struggling for an answer, which only made him angrier. “I don’t know!” he yelled, throwing his hands in the air. “Maybe, god forbid, I thought you’d actually be accepting when it matters! I put up a lot of your ‘America, ho-ra-ra!’ but I never thought you’d actually try to stop our kid from being raised right.”

Jane blinked as though surprised, but then hardened his brow back again. “Huh... Yeah, so you're saying the right way to raise a kid is to send it away to develop all sorts of abandonment issues and end up like you? Is that it? You can barely talk about the time before your parents took you back because you're so fucking traumatized by it! And you want to do that to OUR kid?”

Tavish winced. Somehow those words hit harder than if Jane had actually punched him.

“You- I- I’m not- …just shut the fuck up,” Tavish snarled. He’d thought he’d finally come to terms with it, but now here was Jane, ready to throw it back in his face.

That was it, he was too angry to form words anymore. He shoved past Jane, grabbing his keys and wallet from the end table. Then, he was out, slamming the door as he went.

-

-

Tavish wasn’t really sure where he’d ended up, and he didn’t really care. He’d stopped looking at road signs an hour ago, and the town was just like any other in this non-descript corner of New Mexico. So, when he couldn’t keep his eye open anymore, he pulled into the nearest motel and dropped into bed.

He would’ve liked nothing more than to fall asleep and not have to think anymore, but his body had other ideas. It’d been so long since he’s slept in a bed that wasn’t his own, not since when he lived at RED base for the majority of his life. Wait, no, that wasn’t right. He’d collapsed in a drunken heap just a few months ago, too tired and too far from home to drive. Only he’d had Jane sleeping right beside him, even breathing comfortable and familiar.

No, he didn’t want to think about Jane right now, or how shitty this whole thing was. Every time Jane had asked if he was sure he wanted kids, Tavish had heard “are you ready to put them through what you experienced?” And he’d been hesitant. He wanted kids, but he’d never been sure…only Jane had made him realize it was worth it. He’d finally come to terms with it.

And now?

Tavish rolled over, then took off his eyepatch and threw it against end table. For some reason, it itched worse than ever tonight.

Thank god Mum hadn’t been home. He hated when she put her nose in his and Jane’s business, but at least this time he knew he had someone on his side. She of all people knew how important this was to being a DeGroot.

Tavish chose to focus on that as he fell asleep. Not the fact that he still had to go to work tomorrow. Not about what the hell this meant for the baby. Not about the things Jane had said to him right before…

No. Not about any of that.

His skin still felt itchy.

-

Tavish, unfortunately, woke up the next morning. With a grunt of distaste, he realized he’d have to go home in order to get his work clothes. As he put his shoes back on, he chided himself for not keeping a spare change in his locker at work. Anything would have been preferable for walking back into that house.

It was an awful drive after an awful night’s sleep, but finally he pulled up to the mansion.

He turned the key in the lock, praying that Jane was still asleep.

But as he reached the top of the steps he was greeted with a cool, “how was your night?” “Don’t start with me Jane. I’m just here to change my clothes and go to work.”

He didn’t want Jane getting the impression he was ready to talk. Not when his eye was still clouded with sleep and he could barely think straight.

Jane stepped to the side, letting Tavish past, but blocking the doorway once again and trapping him in the bedroom.

He watched Tavish rifle through the dresser a bit before prodding, “what, so we just aren't going to talk then?”

Tavish slammed the drawer shut harder than necessary. “No, we aren’t. Not when you still think that our kids going to grow up without knowing anything of its heritage.”

He didn’t even know the words he was saying anymore, just repeating the words he’d been fed since he was six. But this was the only option. What Jane was thinking was impossible, there was no way their child could still be a real demoman without learning to develop their skills.

“Hey! I never said that!” Jane yelled, pointing a finger at Tavish, “It's not like you can't teach them or go visit, unless I'm mistaken and your ENTIRE Scottish heritage revolves around traumatizing children!”

“It’s not traumatizing!” Tavish hollered. “It’s important. ”

He stepped forward, into Jane’s space, clean clothes balled into a sweaty mess.

“And I got news for you, mate. I. Turned out. Fine, ” he snarled, daring Jane to deny him again.

Jane's face darkened, but he replied in a steady voice. “I'm not saying there is anything wrong with what you are Tavish. But I don't see how any of that bullshit was necessary.”

The ball of clothes was barely recognizable. Tavish looked away, too frustrated to hold Jane’s gaze. He didn’t want to be mad, but this was all so infuriating for reasons he couldn’t articulate.

“It was necessary,” he insisted. “You need to be on your own, to make sure you develop your skills.”

“God Tavish I don't even know anything about this tradition. All I have to compare it with is what happened with you, and you came home EARLY because you're adoptive parents died! You were what, nine? Ten? Older? You're trying to tell me I'm not going to see this kid again until it's a teenager? What if the kid is a terrible demoman, do we just..... never get them back?” Jane stared at Tavish, desperate for some sort of explanation for all this.

“I…” Tavish honest to god didn’t know. He knew that some kids took a bit longer than him to get the knack of it but... “That’s not- we would get ‘em back eventually.” He felt a lump in his throat because he wasn’t even sure any more. “And I was six so, it wouldn’t be that long.”And that was a straight up lie. Six years was very, very long.

Jane folded his arms “What about Betsy? She's doing this huge favor for us and we’re just giving the kid away?”

“Betsy doesn’t get a say.” Tavish frowned. “The kid’s not hers, she says so herself. And if it’s going to be a DeGroot then news flash! That comes with the package.”

“That's it then? The kid's a DeGroot, nothing else?” Jane's voice was completely steady, the edge of danger in his voice. “What you say goes?”

Tavish said nothing. They stared at each other, in between the bedroom and the hallway until Tavish gave in.

“I’m going to work now,” he said, unable to meet Jane’s eye. He’d change in the bathroom there, he couldn’t stay in this house a minute longer. Weakly, he offered, “we’ll talk later. Tonight, when I get back.”

Jane finally let him pass, but it didn’t feel like a victory to Tavish.

-

“Hey? You alright?”

Tavish looked up from his work. Or, what remained of his work. In his distracted state, he’d let the mixture get well past its boiling point, and it’d mostly evaporated away. He rubbed at his eye sleepily, blinking at Ortiz with a sigh.

“No, not really.” He pushed himself into a better position. “Am I that obvious?”

“We’ll you’ve been pretty distracted the last couple of weeks, but now you seem worse than ever.” She sat at a stool next to his. “So. Wanna talk about it?”

Tavish sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It’s not like his problems were going to go away by sitting here and staring at Bunsen burners.

“Actually, for once in my life, I might want to,” he admitted.

Ortiz pushed her goggles up, making the soot stain around her tawny eyes very apparent. Her look was sympathetic, and Tavish was relieved he still had someone he hadn’t chased away.

“Okay, without naming names, friend of mine and I had a fight last night.”

“Was it Jane?”

Tavish sputtered for a second. “Wh- yeah? How did you know?”

She shrugged. “He’s your only friend outside of work I actually know. And, since you and Collins aren’t spitting venom, I took a shot in the dark.”

Tavish let out a relieved huff. “Ah, that makes sense. Sorry, just a bit on edge lately.”

“You can say that again.”

Not knowing where to start, Tavish just started talking. “Well, me and Jane had an agreement of sorts. It’s hard to describe, so just leave it at that for right now. And it’s important to both of us, but now he’s talking about a part of it that interferes with all these DeGroot traditions.”

She nodded. “Right, you’re mom’s a real stickler on the whole Scottish thing.”

More guilt at that. He remember how he’d played up his mother’s traditionalism, how supposedly he spent his whole life breaking out of it. “I…yeah. Kinda. I’m just not sure if I’m doing it for her or for me.”

“It can be hard to tell the difference,” Ortiz replied after a moment. “And it’s not an easy answer. But I mean, from when I met him briefly, you and Jane seem close. Just you know…” She waved her hand, searching for the right words. “If it’s important to both of you, you gotta make sure you’re both on the same page. Does he know what it means to you?”

“He does but he’s still being a self-centered-” Tavish cut himself off mid sentence. It was so hard to be mad at Jane when he wasn’t even sure about his own wants. “I just…want to keep the past in mind. But I don’t want him to feel like I’m not listening to him either.”

“So you want him to feel like you’re listening to him without actually listening to him?”

“Hey!” Tavish snapped. “You hardly even know what’s going on and you’re taking his side?”

Ortiz put up her hands in surrender, but she had the smallest trace of her dorky grin on her face. Despite himself, Tavish mirrored it.

“Just, you know,” she shrugged. “Talk to him. You’re good at that. Sometimes you don’t stop.”

“Hey, I thought you liked when I talked,” he complained with a snort. “Is not that why you befriended me in the first place?”

“That, and your incredible singing voice,” she deadpanned. He shoved her slightly, making her stool tip and letting her get off a fit of laughs. “But seriously, just talk to him. Tell him it’s hard to balance your family and your friends. I’m sure you can work something out.”

“Thanks Ortiz. That…actually helps a lot.” It was the conclusion Tavish knew he was spinning towards anyways, but Ortiz helped pushed him in the right direction. Jane was important. What he thought about their kid was important. Tavish shouldn’t have let other stuff make him plug his ears and not let in anything he had to say.

He could still fix this.

-

Tavish pushed open the door hesitantly. Jane wasn’t in the living room, but neither was Sgt. Whiskers, so the two were probably together. Tavish eventually found them in Whiskers' room, Jane on the chair they'd added so he didn't have to keep sitting on the floor. Whiskers was asleep in Jane's lap, but Jane himself looked like a mess, bags under his eyes and the beginnings of a shadow starting to form. He didn't look up when Tavish walked in the room, but the hand on Whisker's flank pressed harder into the fur.

“Jane? I’m home,” Tavish said obviously. When Jane didn’t say anything back, he moved around the chair to see him better. “Look, just let me start off with an apology. I should never have said that this morning, this is something I want to talk about.”

“Yeah?” Jane said, voice rough. “Why do you want to talk to me when my input means jack all?”

Tavish swallowed. Okay, maybe he didn’t deserve to be forgiven that easily. There wasn’t much else in the way of suitable furniture in the cat room, and Tavish felt awkward standing over Jane, so instead he chose to kneel by the chair’s side.

“You do,” Tavish insisted. “When I said that I was just…I was still hurting from last night. I didn’t want to hear your opinion because I thought there was only one person who could be right in this situation, and I wanted it to be me.”

Jane only made a _hmm_ in response.

“I didn’t mean to pull that card,” Tavish said. “I mean, how many times have we gotten into an argument? And how many times have we worked it out? Hell, we fought a whole War against each other misunderstandings ‘n hurt feeling’s, but as long we come around eventually, it’ll be alright.”

Tavish reached out a hand to Jane’s, but thought better of it. Instead, he compromised by resting it atop Sgt. Whiskers. The little cat purred.

“Besides,” he added more quietly. “It’s not you didn’t say some pretty awful shite too.”

“It’s not just words Tavish,” Jane growled. “Even if I end up being-” He moved his hand vaguely. “Your name is going to be on the legal documents and shit. One day you decide you know what’s best and suddenly you’re the only one who gets a say.”

Despite not wanting to be mad anymore, Tavish could help but rise in a flash of anger. “This exactly what I didn’t want to happen! This is why I wanted to make sure you were really okay with this whole thing, and you convinced me that I should by saying you trusted me. Well you should! Just because I said something dumb once while I’m pissed off doesn’t mean I want to send our kid away!”

Tavish chose that exact moment to shut up. He had wanted thing to even out first, to make it so they were able to talk about it like a couple of adult before looking weak. Before letting Jane know he had doubts.

But Jane caught on quickly. “You... don't?” He narrowed his eyes down at Tavish, his bluster fading. “If you don't want to send the kid away then why are you fighting for it?”

“Because someone has to!” Tavish picked at a loose thread in the chair. “Because it’s important! You sure as hell don’t have any stake in having a demoman as a kid, so the only one left to at least try is me! What does that say about me if I just give up? As a DeGroot? Is that me finally admitting that my heritage doesn’t matter, that it was all for nothing?!”His voice broke on the last word, and he rubbed angrily at his eye.

“Oh.” Jane waited a moment, but then put a hand on Tavish’s shoulder. “I didn’t realize…nevermind. But Tav, isn't this one tradition we can skip? We both want the kid here, you can teach it all about being a demoman, and your mom can help with the tradition stuff.

“…Maybe. I don’t know.”

“I never meant it to seem like I didn't care,” Jane added. “I know how much it means to you.”

Tavish hesitated, but placed his own hand over Jane’s. “No, no I know you care,” he admitted. “But I…I feel like, if we didn’t do it, that would prove that it wasn’t necessary. That if they hadn’t done it to begin with…”

It was a feeling too deep to put into words right now. He wrapped his arms fully around Jane, trying to express how sorry he was. They’d both said some hurtful things, and Tavish had never meant to betray Jane’s trust.

“Did I ever tell you, one of the first things my Da ever said to me when they took me back?” Tavish said suddenly into Jane’s shoulder. “I hadn’t gotten a lot of time just with him, it was always him and Mum together, looking me over, making sure I was well fed, putting me back into school. We were out near the port, taking a walk, and I asked him why he sent me away in the first place. He got real quiet, and I could tell it was an important answer, the way only a lad can tell when something about how he knows the world is about to change. ‘Because we love you. We loved you so much we were willing to sacrifice.’ And that was that. At the time I didn’t understand, though as I got older and supposedly wiser I thought I did.” Tavish sighed, his throat raw from shouting. “Though maybe I’m back to step one. Six years old and not knowing a thing.”

“Tavish...” Jane patted Tavish’s back. “...They did do it because they loved you Tavish, I'm sorry for calling you messed up because of it. You're not, you're perfect.”

“Far from perfect,” Tavish joked, though his voice was humorless. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have...well you know. I’m trying to tell you how our kid’s gunna be when I can barely keep myself in a straight line.

“It's ok, we can take time to talk. We can figure this out.” Jane squeezed Tavish even harder. . “We're partners in this thing right?”

It was impossible to tell how good that felt to hear. “You got it mate,” Tavish said quietly into Jane’s ear.

\------------

-

After work the next day, Tavish walked into the living room, and breathed a sigh of relief that Jane was there waiting for him. It was what he was expecting, but still.

“How was work?” Jane asked, not about to break their usual afternoon routine. “Better, knowing you’re doing good.”Tavish took off his shoes and plopped next to Jane, watching him move the string for the Sergeant. “How about you? Do anything fun?”

“Took Tilly into town for some shopping, but that's about it.” Jane replied.

Silence permeated the room after that, neither one of them really wanting to start the conversation.

“Alright then, let's talk.” Jane finally said.

“Right.” Tavish said the word, but didn’t really do anything about it. They sat there for a few awkward seconds, neither one sure how to begin. Anxiously, Tavish stood up. “I, er, have an idea. Just hold on for a sec.”

He walked quickly out of the room, disappearing into the kitchen. Jane could hear him shuffling around in the draws, but didn’t have much time to wonder. Tavish came back a moment later, holding a paper and pencil.

“I mean, this is what you do when you make a big decision, right? You make a list of pros and cons.” Tavish slapped the paper on the coffee table and drew a straight line down the center. “One side for sending the kid away, one against.”

“Ok. So for example.... A good thing about sending the kid away would be that you uphold your family traditions.”Jane looked at Tavish expectantly.

“Aye, that’s it.” Tavish wrote it down one the pros side. He stared at the paper, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “And…a bad thing would be we wouldn’t get to see ‘em for a long time.”

Jane and Tavish stared at the paper, neither of them really liked to think about the downsides to their opinions.

“If we send the kid away, they might eventually resent us for it,” Jane said pointedly.

Tavish didn’t look up, but he wrote that down on the paper anyways. He tapped the pencil against the paper; he was starting to think this might have been a bad idea.

“It’s possible we may never see them again. Something could happen to them, or their new folks might not…” He stared ahead, but didn’t write anything down. “Well, the good thing would be…our kid would have a chance to cultivate their skills. Learn to make it out there for themselves.”

He didn’t write that down either.

“And if they stayed,” Jane lead, “then you would get to be the one to teach them.”

Tavish stopped tapping the pencil. He couldn’t look over at Jane, but he couldn’t look away either. He hung his head and closed his eye.

“Tavish.” Jane put a hand on Tavish’s back. “I want to keep this kid here as much for you as for me.”

“I know, I know,” Tavish said into Jane’s shoulder. “But I…”

It was so hard to let go of this. His parents had gone through this, and his grandparents before them for two sons. “Jane, I just need you to tell me something. If we don’t do it, if we break tradition, I need to know…that I’m not a bad son.”

“What? No... Tavish...” Jane pushed Tavish back, taking his face in his hands. “I don't think that, no one will think that. I promise you no matter what she says, Tilly will never think you're a bad son. Your dad and you're uncle would be proud of you no matter what you decide. You're going to put this kid first, that's what a good parent does.”

Tavish’s throat tightened. He wasn’t sure if he believed that. They contemplated quietly on the couch, the piece of paper forgotten after a while. Eventually, Tavish pushed away from Jane. Here he’d been thinking he could convince him but… the exact opposite had happened.

“Jane. I don’t want to give ‘em away.”

“Then we won't,” Jane said finally, wearing a very serious expression. “If Tilly gives you shit about it, then blame me, I can be the bad guy.”

“I…thank you. Jane. You mean more to me than I ever thought possible. Without you I’d…well, who knows where I’d be?” Tavish squeezed his hands. ‘Always such a sap.” Jane chuckled, finally cracking a grin for the first time that day. “You should talk to Tilly, I think you'll feel better if you just get it over with.”

“Alright.” That was smart. Rip it off like a band-aid. “You said she went shopping? Did you just drop her off or you two come back together?”

“Yeah she's here, up in her room I think.” Jane patted him on the knee. “Thanks for changing your mind Tavish... and you can do this!”

“Well, you’re welcome I guess. You’re the one who changed it.” Tavish smiled, then faltered. “And, er, would you mind coming with me? I think I need a lot more courage for this than telling her originally.”

“Of course,” Jane said gently. “Come on.”

They walked up together (Jane pulling Tavish along, though he wasn’t exactly digging his heels in.) The hallway to his mother’s room felt infinite, like one of those funhouse passageways that you just kept walking forever on.

When they reached, Jane knocked gently, and Mum gave them a muffled, “this better be important.”

She was sitting at a desk near the bed, broken radios and an antique cash register disassembled before her: the fruits of her and Jane’s last voyage to the flea market. She had ceased her tinkering, head turned towards the door.

“What is it?” she huffed.

Jane prodded at him, but didn't get much of a response. “Tavish and I want to tell you something,” Jane started, grabbing Tavish's arms from behind and steering him into the room. “Something about the baby, right Tavish?”

“Something’s not wrong, is it?” she asked. Tavish knew his mother well, so he knew that couldn’t be actual worry in her voice. That would be crazy.

“No, sorry, no, not in the way you’re thinking’,” Tavish managed to speak up. Thank god, he didn’t know how he could handle something like that. “But it’s something you won’t like.”

Tavish swallowed. His mother didn’t prompt him, so he just blinked for a few seconds, trying to take as much confidence as he could from the presence beside him.

“We’re not sending the baby off for training’,” he said shortly.

There was silence in the room, static from the preciously busted radio now drowning them in white noise. Mum just faced him, waiting.

“Is that all?”

“Wha?” Tavish floundered. “What do you mean is that all? You’re not even the tiniest bit mad?”

Mrs. DeGroot snorted. “I’d have to be surprised to be mad. I already figured you wouldn’t do it, you’ve held that grudge against me and your father for decades. Besides, Jane’s here. He’d sooner wrestle local law enforcement than let someone talk away anything he thought was important.”

“See? I told you she'd be fine with it.” Jane said, nudging Tavish with his elbow.

Tavish let out a puff of air. He would think this was some sort of trick, but Mum didn’t do “passive” aggressive very well. It seemed like she’d already accepted the decision before he made it. He was always so worried how she’d react…

“I mean I did try to convince Jane…” he began, but Mum waved him off with a snort.

“But he’s got you wrapped around his little finger, isn’t that right?”

Now it was Tavish’s turn to be embarrassed. Tavish didn’t protest, since it was mostly true. He stepped closer to Jane so that their shoulder’s brushed, and squeezed his hands.

Tilly suddenly looked melancholy. “I didn’t want to send you away Tavish. I never did. But I thought it would be best for you, at the time.”

A lump pushed its way into Tavish’s throat. “Oh. I thought…I thought you ‘n Da both agreed…”

“Oh we did. He knew it would be difficult, for the both of us, but in the end we thought it was the best way to give you the right experience. Maybe we were wrong. I don’t ken.”

Jane squeezed Tavish's hand tighter, knowing this was just what he was afraid of.

“You did what you thought was best,” Jane said. “You had no way of knowing what would happen. I don't think there is a right or wrong decision, it's just what was better for you at the time, and this is what is better for us.”

“Thank you Jane,” Tilly said. “That’s good of you to say.” She frowned, turning her attention back to Tavish. She started to speak a few times before changing her mind. Eventually, she asked, “Tavish. Do you hate me for what I did in the end?”

“Of course not,” he said instantly. He let go of Jane’s hand with one last squeeze, and went to kneel by his mother’s chair. “I could never hate you. You’re my Mum.”

Hesitantly, she reached out touched the side of his face. She brought his head to rest against hers, the two of them quietly embracing.

“You're going to be a great Grandma,” Jane said to Tilly over Tavish’s shoulder. “You can teach the kid all about their family history.”

“Of course I will. It’s not like Tavish remembers any of it,” she said, and jerked her thumb at him.

“Hey!”

“Oh please Tav. You cannot remember two generations ago, let alone the full seven.”

Tavish blustered. “I can too!”

“Oh really? Then what was your grandpa’s name?”

Tavish grimaced. “…DeGroot?”

Tilly shook her head.

“Come on, let's leave mum to her work.” Jane tugged Tavish's arm, pulling him out into the hall and leaving Tilly in peace.

“You know this means we can buy a crib with all the crazy do-dads right?” Jane chuckled.

“Oh boy,” Tavish said with a roll of his eye. “Now you’re speaking my language.”


	17. Chapter 17

-

Time passed all too slowly. Another month seemed like a year, and the two of them found lots of ways to distract themselves. They drove up north to the bar every once in a while, and were soon considered amongst the regulars. They went to see Betsy more often, or at least Tavish did. Jane had always been a frequent guest of hers, so it was like he was a side observer to their little visits. They tried to keep him in the loop of course, but it took time.

“Hey Jane! You home yet!” Tavish called up the stairs as he pushed in the door.

“I'm here!” Jane said, popping out of the kitchen behind him. “Betsy called. The twelve week ultrasound is scheduled for next week. Can you believe it's been that long already?”

“Bloody hell really?” It certainly hadn’t felt like that long.

Jane nodded, then thoughtfully added, “we really need to pick a nursery room...”

“Well, we got plenty of space,” Tavish agreed. “How about the room next to Whiskers? Close enough to are to hear the baby crying duringt he night.”

“Sgt. Whiskers room is closer though. We could always move all his stuff out, I don't think he'd mind.” Jane watched Tavish bustle about the living room, and scratched his neck. “Although... that room is smaller. We could always move the kid to a bigger room when they get older. Has a nice closet though.” Suddenly Jane was completely zoned out, trying to pick the best room for their future baby.

“Hey, don’t think too hard,” Tavish said, jokingly shoving the back of Jane’s head. “We don’t even got any furniture yet. How about we pick a room and paint it together after the ultrasound?”

“Sounds good!” Jane said with a smile, finally letting out a sigh of relief. “Although... we are going to have to pick a color...” Jane spaced again, so Tavish just gave up and left him to get changed.

By the time Tavish came back down the stairs Jane had broken out of his trance, and was back in the kitchen chopping vegetables.

“Oh, I forgot to ask,” Tavish said as he joined Jane in the prep, “are you doing anything tomorrow night? Oritz has invited us out for a lovely night at the bar. Hopefully not the kind where she throws up and I have to call a cab for her. Even then, should be a fun night beforehand.” Tavish finished radish he was cutting and raised an eyebrow.

“Us? As in she wants to hang out with _me_?” Jane couldn't hide how happy it made him that Tavish's work-friend wanted to hang out with him. Even though they'd only met once and Jane had silently judged her before they'd even met. “I'd love to go!”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. I’ll, er, come back to pick you up after work.” He flexed his hands before grabbing an onion. “If I’m beinghonest, I thought Ortiz might still be a sore spot with you, even though it’s been more than half a year.”

“What? No! I'm over that... She was nice the first time we met, I like her.” Jane bumped Tavish's hip with a smirk, hands still occupied.

“That’s good,” Tavish hummed. “Well, that’s good. Makes what I’d like to say a bit easier. We’ve said before that I might be able to tell a few of my work friends about the baby. Well…I was thinking should go the whole mile. Tell Ortiz about you ‘n me.”

Jane faltered, nearly cutting one of his fingers. “R-really? You sure we can trust her?” He grimaced at his own words, they sounded just like what Tavish had said when Jane told Betsy

“Well,” Tavish hesitated, “I mean I think she’s a trustworthy person. But specifically about that, I’ve been…well. Dropping hints? Like, just sort of saying things about current events, then judging her reaction. Based on that, she seems pretty positive about the whole thing. I understand if you’d rather not. Like, it wouldn’t be that much of a loss if she didn’t know. It’s more of just that she’s my friend, and I’d like to be able to talk to her about it.”

“No, that’s fair.” Jane was about to rub the ridge of his nose, and only remembered his onion-hands last second. “I guess I just understand now how you felt about Betsy. Just... Make sure you know she won't tell anyone? “

“Thank you Jane. But who knows? Just spend some time with her tomorrow night, and I think by the end you might think she’s worth telling.” Tavish moved so that they were pushed side to side. “Either way, I think we’ll all have a good time.”

“Yeah... me too.”

-

The next night, Tavish pulled into their driveway and honked his horn. A screech from Mum’s room told him to “stop that infernal beeping,” since “people are trying to work around here!”

“Sorry!” he called up into the window.

Jane ran out of the house laughing, having overheard their yelling. He came down the driveway and slipped into the passenger's seat of the car.

“What bar are we headed to?” Jane asked, buckling himself in.

“Ortiz likes this restaurant called Porkaline’s. No idea why, her and the bartender are mortal enemies.” He peeled out, heading back the way he came. “Maybe they’re just mortal enemies in the way that you and I were mortal enemies, and are secretly best mates when they’re not yelling at each other.”

“I'm guessing the two of them don't hide under the tables for a little “private time” though,” Jane joked, giving Tavish a toothy grin.

“Not that I’ve noticed,” Tavish said, trying not to laugh and failing.

They made it to the bar in short time. Ortiz had already gotten a table for them, having beaten them there by coming straight from work.

“Hey guys!” she said as they sat down. She offered them a basket of chips. “Long time no see Jane. How are you?”

“I am doing well! It's good to see you too Ortiz! Oh... I believe you told me your first name...” Jane grinned awkwardly, but stuck out his hand for a handshake anyway. “Sorry for forgetting.”

She shook it, then shrugged. “It’s Julia, but you can just call me Ortiz if it’s easier to remember.”

Tavish was already digging into the chips while the other two exchanged pleasantries. He held one up. “These so you’re not smashed by eight o’clock?”

“No,” she said offended. It was a façade that collapsed a moment later when she admitted, “that’s what the corned beef sandwich I ordered is for.”

“Ortiz is a lightweight,” Tavish stage whispered to Jane.

“Mmm... Sandwich sounds good,” Jane noted, ignoring Tavish. “You come here often? What's good?” Jane asked Ortiz, picking up the menu.

“Everything,” she gushed, but restrained herself a little when Tavish snickered at her. “Well, the beef is great. And anything that’s fried like the chips and the onion rings are fantastic. Oh,” she said, pointing at the menu Jane had picked up. “The ribs are heavenly. You should get those since this is your first time.”

“Well... I just made ribs the other night, we still have leftovers.” Jane paused when he heard the words come out of his mouth. “I mean I!... I have.... leftovers....” His eyes flicked nervously to Tavish, but then realized that looked even more suspicious. “Uh... I think I could go for a steak, that sound good?” He looked back at Ortiz again.

“I mean, sure. If it sounds like something you’d want?” Her brow knitted at Jane’s sudden nervousness.

She cast her eyes over at Tavish, but he just shrugged, and gave her what he hoped was an “I’m just as confused as you” sort of look. Thankfully, they were saved further probing by the arrival or Ortiz’s sandwich.

After ordering, Tavish directed the conversation back to food, something Ortiz was happy to have fresh ears for.

“There’s this place over by the theater—Mossa, Moosa?—anyway the fries are great,” she prattled. “You should stop by there if you get the chance. Just don’t eat the ice cream. I think it’s made from goats.”

“Goats? Huh...” Jane scratched his chin, trying to remember if goat milk was a normal thing. “Have I ever been there? We should go.” The more Jane thought about it the more he realized they didn't eat out much. Not that it was a bad thing, but it might be fun to switch things up once in a while, much like they were doing today.

“You might’ve. If you did, it wasn’t with me,” Tavish said pleasantly. “I wouldn’t mind seeingit out, though.”

"Hmm.." Jane looked at the beer he'd ordered, swirling it around in the glass. Jane wasn't sure how quickly Tavish wanted the conversation to come back to the two of them, and we wasn't good at avoiding the issue

The conversation was taken out of Jane’s hands however. “Sooo…Tavish says you have a cat, right?” Ortiz asked.

“Oh, yes.” Jane perked up instantly. “His name is Sgt. Whiskers, he is a good soldier. Do you have any pets? I love animals.”

“I do!” Ortiz beamed, and Tavish felt he was about to be left behind in an animal frenzy. “I have this gargoyle gecko, Charles III. So you know the geckos that run around outside the city with all the cactuses and stuff? He’s like that only he’s been bread in a specific way, and he changes color based on his mood.”

Jane tilted his head to the side, “Wait, how does it change color? Is that even possible?” He looked at Tavish for confirmation, “Is she pulling my leg?”

Tavish set down his beer and shrugged. “Maybe. I’ve never actually seen the little bugger. But she’s got every detail down to the mark, so either she does have a magic lizard living in her home, or she’s a very good liar.” He grinned at her. “And I know for sure it’s not the second option.”

“Oh hardy har har,” Ortiz grumbled. She turned back to Jane. “To answer your polite question,” she shot a glare at Tavish, “he does it by changing the chromatophores in his body. Like how humans come in different colors based on a low variation of pigments, chameleons and some geckos have loads of dormant pigments in their skin.”

“Chroma..to.... Whats?” Jane stuttered, “And it can just.... Change, whenever it wants?” It still sounded ridiculous to Jane, maybe he should have been paying more attention to the lizards scurrying around the yard.

“Chromatophores,” she repeated happily. “And…kinda?” She looked at Jane for a second, lost in thought. “Hey, can I pinch your cheek for a sec? I swear it’s part of the explanation, and I’m not just calling you chubby or something.”

“Uh, fine. I guess?" He was barely done saying it when she leaned over and did as promised.

“See! That’s what I was getting at.” She pointed at Jane’s face. “It’s not really based on want, it’s based on emotion and body temperature. Blood rushes to people’s cheeks: turns them red. Same principal. Gecko gets scared, higher temperature, activates the aggressive colors in the skin.”

“Didn’t your mum ever tell you it’s rude to point?” Tavish said, and tried not look like he was laughing at Jane’s expense.

Jane ended up getting even more pink in the cheeks. “Ok ok I get it... It doesn't matter though, I prefer my animals with fur anyway.”

“Pssh,” Ortiz said as she waved it off. “No biggie. You know, you’re a lot friendlier than I thought you would be. Tavish warned me you’re kinda grumpy around strangers.” Her eyes widened as she backpedaled. “Not that he said you were mean or anything. I don’t think you’re mean. You’re a cool dude.”

Jane glared at Tavish, “Yes... He always says the best things about me apparently.” He sighed, and started cutting into his steak with a fierce determination now that their food had arrived.

“Well, uh, you guys have let me ramble enough about my crap,” Ortiz said, after she watched the two of them dig into their food. “Tell me about you. How’d you guys meet?”

“Oh,” Jane began. “Um. Well, We met through our old jobs. Sort of, we didn't really become friends until we bumped into each other at a weapons expo.”

“Would it surprise you if I said we hated each other at first? I think we got into the first of several fistfights right at that expo,” Tavish picked up.

“Really?” Ortiz laughed. “I can’t image you guys not liking each other. You seem so close now.”

“Yeah well.” Tavish smiled in Jane’s direction. “He grows on you.”

“Yeah, and once you get past all the drinking and screaming about Scottish crap, Tavish is pretty ok too.” Jane laughed a little, but then became sore serious. “Technically we worked for rival companies, so we were sort of supposed to hate each other.”

“Rival companies? Like one of you worked for Ben & Jerry’s and the other worked for Blue Bell?” Ortiz joked. When neither one laughed, she furrowed her brow. “I guess I don’t really get what you mean.”

“It was a little more…high stakes than that,” Tavish admitted. “Trade secrets. Extremely niche markets. Jane and I were under contract not to even speak with each other.”

“And obviously we screwed that up pretty well,” Jane said with a humorless laugh.

The conversation lulled once again, everyone going back to awkwardly picking at their dinner. Jane stuffed a particularly large bit of steak in his mouth to have an excuse not to talk anymore.

Ortiz still looked concerned. “But I mean, all that worked out right?” Her eyes widened, and she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I mean, there isn’t a hit out on you guys or anything?”

Tavish chuckled. “No, no it’s all worked out now. Jane and I can go about freely for the most part.”

“Yeah, the people in charge of enforcing the rules are gone now.” Jane huffed. There was no point in explaining to Ortiz about the War, so Jane didn’t bother. It was enough that she saw they’d fought hard for their friendship.

“It wasn't easy though, I'm glad that's all over with.”

“Sorry to bring the mood down,” Tavish said . “A bit heavy for a night of bevvys.”

“Hey, that’s when all the best deep conversations happen,” Ortiz supplied.

“Well, I'm normally not a fan of deep conversations.” Jane muttered.

Things got a bit awkward after that, and the three of them decided to focus on their food for a while. That only worked for so long though, and as they all got down to their last scraps, Jane decided to start steering the conversation himself.

“So, Ortiz, you seeing anyone?” He asked bluntly.

Ortiz choked on her corned beef, and Tavish wasn’t far behind. After he stopped coughing, he glared at Jane.

“Uhhh, n-no? I mean, I haven’t even like, looked at anyone since…” She coughed into a fist. “And, uh, well you both know how well that turned out.”

“Ortiz, if you’d rather not talk-”

“No! No, it’s fine,” she said, and took a deep breath. “That just caught me off guard.” She released the tablecloth. “I’m over it, really. You’re a great friend Tavish, but you don’t need to worry about anymore unwanted advances.”

Jane nodded approvingly, completely ignoring Tavish's reaction. “What about you Tavish, anything new you'd like to share?”

He sighed. “Look Ortiz, I have an inkling of what Jane’s trying to say here. But first of all, we’re going to tell you something that we’ve kept on the down low for quite a while now, so we’re going to ask you to swear to secrecy.”

Ortiz’s face brightened at the mention of secrets, and she lowered her voice again. “I swear! What is it? Is it illegal?”

“Er, yeah.”

“The fun kind of illegal or the bad kind of illegal?”

“…The fun kind,” Tavish concluded.

“I don't think you have the right idea about what we're talking about.” Jane said to Ortiz, trying to make her take this seriously.

“Okaaayyy…” she said with a bit more reserve. “You’re losing me a bit here. And what does this have to do with me dating anyone?”

“Well it doesn't,” Jane said. “I guess. That wasn't the best way of changing the conversation. It has more to do with Tavish dating. Which is to say he’s dating me.”

Jane said it as straight forward as possible, and took Ortiz’s uncomprehending look in stride.

“Why don’t I take it from here?” Tavish butted in. He looked Ortiz straight in the eye. “Ortiz, when I said before I wasn’t interested was because of me Mum, that wasn’t the truth. The truth is that I’m with Jane. I couldn’t tell you before because I didn’t know you all that well then. But now I consider you one of my best mates, and I’m hoping you won’t be one to go spreading it around.”

As he finished, Ortiz’s face made a little “o”.

“We can't really tell people so... That's why Tavish had to lie.” Jane interrupted. “But you're a close friend, and he wanted you to know the truth so.... Please keep this to yourself.”

“You guys? You…? Oooooh my god.” Ortiz was still in shock, but she suddenly noticed how Jane’s eyes kept shifting and Tavish was looking at her apprehensively. “I mean! Of course! I promise I won’t tell anybody, you guys can totally trust me.”

Tavish was visibly relieved, and he gave her half a smile. “Thanks Ortiz, I knew I could count on you.”

“I still can’t…so when you were saying that you were under contract not to talk to each other, was that like, a metaphor or something?”

“No, that was all pretty literal.” Jane took a bit of ribs. “But after a certain point we also became more than friends. We've been... Living together for over a year now.”

“Oh. So you guys are pretty serious then.” She was starting to look less bug-eyed. “A year? So that time in the bar when I was talking to you about Tavish and…” She put her head in her hands. “Ohhhhh my god. That must have been so awful for you. You must think I’m a complete idiot.” She looked about ready to shrivel up with embarrassment.

“What? N-no!” Now Jane felt guilty, “I mean, It didn't feel the best, but we were trying to keep it a secret so it wasn't your fault. Besides, Tavish was being the idiot leading you on.” He glared over at Tavish.

“I wasn’t leading her on!” Tavish protested, then stopped yelling so people wouldn’t stare. “I just…was nice. Cannot a man be nice to a woman without out wanting two point five kids and a white picket fence?”

Ortiz squeaked, looking even more mortified.

Tavish looked over at her guiltily. “I mean, I was never trying to lead you on. I’m sorry if you thought…”

She shook her head, lifting it out her hands a bit. “No, it was just wistful thinking I guess. I never thought you really were encouraging it, but you never said no either.”

“Aye,” Tavish said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “And that’s a mistake I’ve paid tenfold for. I should’ve just said something from the beginning.”

Jane just smiled smugly, pleased Tavish had learned his lesson, before saying to Ortiz, “well, thanks for being a good friend to Tavish anyway. He talks about you all the time.”

“Only good things,” Tavish said drily.

“Oh really? He never says good things about me when I’m actually around,” she told Jane with a half smile, having regained some of her composure. “In fact, usually he talks about you. ” She put a hand to her mouth in realization, and whipped he head to Tavish. “Ha! It all makes sense now. Always pretending to be so clever, but you were a big romantic sap this whole time.”

“I thought he only talked about how grumpy I am.” Jane said, finally feeling comfortable enough to tease Tavish again.

“Oh, he goes on and on about how much he likes spending time with you, especially whenever we try to make him go out for dinks with us. It’s always Jane told me this, and you’ll never believe this situation we got into…Honestly the fact that he digs you makes me realize how much he really gushes.”

“Yeah yeah, yuck it up you two,” Tavish said, taking a drink to hide his embarrassment at their teasing. “I like this conversation better when we were turning Jane red and laughing at him instead of me.

“Serves you right.” Jane chuckled, finishing off the last bit of food and taking a long sip of beer.

He liked this, it was just like with Betsy. It was good to have other people to talk and laugh with, and for Tavish to have his own friends.

Over time, they toned down the ribbing, and it developed into a comfortable atmosphere of general drunkenness. Ortiz recovered from her shock by the end, and hardly showed it except for the occasional question. It was easy to talk about in the loud bar with people he was comfortable with.

“We should probably start heading home,” Jane said, looking over to the clock hung by the kitchen door. He turned to Ortiz, who was swaying a little in her chair. “You've been drinking a lot, need a ride? It's no trouble, right Tavish?”

“No, I live close,” Ortiz insisted, but thankfully didn’t claim she could keep going at her current rate. “I usually walk home.”

“Take care of yourself, like always,” Tavish told her. After Jane paid the bill for the night, they got up, and Jane felt comfortable enough to place a hand on the small of Tavish’s back and help him along.

Ortiz followed them out, waving when they had to part ways. “Sometime. Us, again!”

“I think that’s ‘pissed Ortiz’ talk for ‘we should all do this again sometime,” Tavish told Jane pleasantly.

Ortiz made a rude hand gesture, but grinned all the same, and walked off down the street.

“You sure we shouldn't walk her home?” Jane asked Tavish, a little concerned. “I mean, does she live pretty close? I don't want something to happen...”

“It’s fine,” Tavish assured. “She does it all the time, but I’m sure she appreciates you asking. Sometimes it feels like she knows ever person on this corner of town.”

They found where they’d parked, and Jane slipped into the front seat with a grunt. He hadn’t expected to spill the beans tonight, and his nerves were still jittering in protest. It could have gone worse. Not that she had taken the news fantastically—she still seemed in a bit of shock—but the fact that she was willing to keep a secret was more than enough for him.

“Thanks for doing this Jane,” Tavish mentioned as they were nearing home.

“You don't need to thank me, it was fun. I owed you anyway” Jane shrugged, “And she took it well, so no harm done. I'm kind of happy to have someone else that knows about us.”

“Really?” Tavish cocked his head at Jane. “That’s a turnaround. And I’m surprised that you’re the one who brought it up, thought for sure you’d just leave me to do it.”

“Well at the rate you were going I didn't see it happening anytime soon, so I stepped in.” He laughed, “Man... Do you think you're going to tell her about the kid? I mean, I guess it's going to come out at some point. Probably would have been too much to take in all at once.”

“Ach jeez, I didn’t even think about that,” Tavish muttered. “Well, there’s going to be quite a bit before it becomes something I need to tell her. Plenty of time.”

Jane watched the streetlights flash by and eventually disappear as they left the downtown area.

“Though,” Tavish went on, “I should do it before she meets Betsy. It’ll be easier to talk about if I just say ‘a surrogate’and she doesn’t have a face to the name. But once that’s all settled we could invite them both over sometime. A whole little party for everyone who’s in on the secret.” Tavish grinned over at Jane in the dark.

“That's a pretty weird club,” Jane chuckled, “But I think that would be a great idea.”

-

“Here Jane.” Betsy said as the left the appointment later that week, reaching over the passenger's seat with a small paper in her hand. Jane grabbed it, then realized it was the printing of the ultrasound.

“Wow...” Jane mumbled, resisting the urge to touch the photo and likely get fingerprints on it. “Thanks for getting this Betsy, I wanted it for the book...”

“Oh yeah,” Tavish said suddenly. “I’d forgotten about that. So focused on the baby coming I forgot we were supposed to be recording it. How’s it coming so far?” he asked Jane as they pulled away from the clinic.

“Uh... Well this is the first piece.” Jane explained, “Most of what it says in there is for once the baby is already here, but there are some extra spaces and I wanted this.”

“You have a book?” Betsy asked, leaning closer to his seat.

“Yeah... For recording stuff and putting pictures, Tavish got it for me.”

“Awww...” Betsy cooed. “You guys are going to be such good dads y'know, I can tell.”

“I think so too,” Tavish said with such a sweet smile that Jane had to turn his head and look out the window.

They dropped Betsy off with a wave, and a promise they’d come by again soon and bring her some soup or something.

-

The next weekend they headed out to the hardware store. After the ultrasound they'd finally gone back to the nursery room and picked a color. Jane had fought hard for one of the green shades, saying the pale purple Tavish liked was too 'girly' if they had a boy. Tavish insisted purple was a perfectly genderless color, and Jane eventually caved.

They picked up a can of 'violet eclipse' as it was named, and headed back home. Changing into some old clothes they got to work on prepping the room, covering the carpet with plastic and removing all the electric socket covers.

“I've never actually painted a room before,” Jane said, inspecting the long paint roller they'd bought as Tavish begun dumping some paint in a tray.

“Hmm. Me neither,” Tavish admitted. “I think I hired some guys to do a few of the rooms that weren’t painted when me moved in. But…” Tavish made the first dash of purple against the white wall. “This just need something more personal.”

They began to spread, Tavish on the East wall, Jane on the North toward the window. Every now and then drops of paint speckled onto the plastic covering the floor.

“See, told you it was a good color,” Tavish said proudly. “Little red. Little blue. Perfectly androgynous.”

“Red and blue...” Jane mused, “I don't even realize that.” He grinned as he continued rolling the paint onto the walls, the color was definitely growing on him now. “I guess we'll have to pick out two names.”

“Hm?” Tavish mused. “Well, I suppose the girl’s name is pretty obvious. We’ll name her Jane, after you.” His grin became all the more smug.

“Don't be an ass.” Jane muttered, bumping Tavish with his hip and causing him to stumble slightly. “That would just be weird. We could name her after your mother though, of you like. At least we don’t have to pick out the last name.”

“Right, so if it has my last name, it should have a name for you too. ‘N quit bumping me, you’re messing up my paint.”

Jane smirked, but left Tavish alone.

“I'd say it doesn't matter but... I would like to have a little something that says “This kid is mine too” you know?” Jane sighed, “I mean Jane would work as a middle name if it's a girl, I wouldn't want to give that name to a boy though.”After all, it was a name he always felt he needed to keep a secret, and he didn't want that for his possible son.

Tavish hummed thoughtfully. “Well, like I said, I do like the idea of having a name from each of us. How about you pick the middle name for the boy too? I don’t suppose you’ve got a fondness for any boy’s names in particular?”

Jane paused his painting to ponder the question, grabbing his chin as he thought about it.

“Hmm... George Washington!” he exclaimed suddenly, “Is there a more American and patriotic name out here than that? Unless.... we could actually NAME the kid America....”

“Good lord…” Tavish rolled his eye. “Our kid’s middle name isn’t going to be ‘George Washington.’ And we’re certainly not naming it ‘America.’ No stupid American names, you hear me?”

“Fine, then do YOU have any brilliant ideas?” He said sarcastically.

“Well…” Tavish stretched his roller up thoughtfully. He couldn’t quite reach the ceiling; they’d need to bring in stools at some point once they finished the rest of the walls. “I’ve thought about naming it after my Da, but I don’t think that’d be fair to you; I get two names and you get just the one. If we could finds someway to get a name that represents both of us…”

Jane nodded, that made sense to him. He wiped a hand on his pants, already sticky with loose paint. But before taking another stroke, he looked down, turning his hand over thoughtfully.

“Hey Tav,” he said absently, “Violet’s a girl’s name, isn’t it?”

Tavish paused,.“You mean like the paint color?” he asked, squinting as he tried to inspect the shade of purple a bit closer. “Violet Jane DeGroot. Huh. Sounds like a character from a romance novel,” he chuckled. “Has a nice ring to it. Bit of you, bit of me, bit of us both.”

“Well, don't have to figure everything out today,” Jane said. The paint had spread mostly over the two walls that had started on, making the room feel warm and inviting.

“I'm surprised you didn't try to suggest some weird Scottish name. A bunch of leprechaun potato-eating nonsense.”

“That’s Ireland you Yankee bastard,” Tavish growled, and flungsome paint at Jane.

“Hey!” Jane exclaimed, whipping around to face him. “It's not my fault you named your countries practically the same thing!” He turned the paint roller, lunging forward and rolling it up the side of Tavish's face. He looked startled by the retaliation, and Jane couldn't help but start laughing at him.

“OoooOOOo now you’ve done it.” Tavish brandished his roller like he would his sword and leaped at the laughing solider.

Jane managed to side step it, but caught Tavish’s elbow anyway. It put him just off balance enough that Tavish was able to turn and roll a streak of purple down the front of Jane’s shirt.

“You’re going to regret those words boyo,” Tavish grinned, always up for defending his country’s honor it meant a little healthy tussle.

Jane could hardly stop laughing, “Here, let me get your shirt to match your face.”

He lunged at Tavish but know he was prepared, using his swordsmanship skills to block Jane's attack. The impact had specks of paint flying from the rollers onto the floor. He pulled back, then managed to swipe Tavish's hands where the clutched the roller, but Tavish got him in the shoulder at the same time.

“Damnit, this isn't a fair fight!” He complained.

“You’ve got your own sword, I’ve seen it!” Tavish shot back. “Not my fault you never practiced.”

Despite the two locking rollers like a battle of life or death, Jane could see the delight in Tavish’s eye. Jane went low, feeling a roller whoosh just above the back of his head, and striking across Tavish’s legs. Not a legal move, technically, but worth it.

"Better be careful,” Tavish threatened. “When I’m done with you, you’re going to be purple than we ever go those walls.”

“If I'm going down you're coming with me!” Jane exclaimed, thumb pointing at his chest to where he used to keep his grenades. He cracked his knuckles, dropping into a fighting stance. “Come at me cupcake.”

Tavish obliged. He charged right at Jane, and there wasn’t enough space between them to move this time. A roller caught Tavish right in the stomach, but he kept going, sending the two of them to the ground.

They wrestled, the rollers pinned between both of their bodies. Instead, they went the old fashion route, general hits and smacks exchanged, but never intending to do more than sting a little. Paint was getting everywhere, and Tavish scrambled to free himself from the tangle of limbs. Finally, he got his arm free.

He was now sitting on Jane’s chest, roller pressed against the loser’s throat in the way his blade used to. “Any last words?”

Jane just let out a huff when he finally realized he'd lost. “Oh shut up,” He grumbled, “Get off.”

Tavish let him. They were both panting as they clambered back to their feet, the fight had been short but intense. Jane glanced at Tavish, happy he'd gotten some pretty good hits in.

“You should wash that off before it's permanent,” Jane teased, “Or you're the one that's going to be named violet.”

“Ah, but I think it makes me look so pretty!” he laughed. “C’mere, we can match.” Tavish made a move like he was going to kiss Jane.

“Ack! Stay away!” Jane yelped, trying to lean away from his as Tavish grabbed his waist. He wasn't successful though, and let out a “Noooo!” when Tavish kissed his cheek, leaving a good amount of paint behind.

“Aw, I was hopingit’d leave a little lipstick shaped mark,” Tavish chuckled, continuing to nuzzle Jane’s cheek. Now that the damage was done, Jane gave up and grumpily let Tavish hold him. “I love you,” he said absently.

“I love you more when you don't attack me with paint.” Jane grumbled, lip sticking out in a pout. Tavish just laughed, and Jane sighed.

“We really should wash it off before it dries though, otherwise it'll be a pain to get off.” He said to the shoulder his face was pressed against.

“Fine. Though I do think it’s a good color on you.”

They headed to the bathroom to clean up.

-


	18. Chapter 18

It took a week for them to whittle down the Thanksgiving leftovers, and Tavish was once again sick of turkey. How the hell did Americans do this every year? If he had to do this for the rest of his life he might just explode.

After during first fresh meal in a week, the phone rang from the kitchen, audible over the noise of the television.

“I'll get it,” Jane piped up from his position on the floor. By the sound from the kitchen, it was Betsy calling in to chat, since Jane didn’t immediately hang up while shouting _my taxes pay your salary, bub!_ He came back a few minutes later. “Betsy was on the phone. We doing anything Friday night?”

Tavish swirled his scrumpy in its bottle. “No, not that I’m aware of. Does she want us to come over?” It’d be nice to see her again, even if they usually did end up ordering pizza.

“No, actually. Sort of?” Jane rubbed the back of his neck. “Betsy wants us to come to some charity dinner. It's paid for, she just needs two people to fill seats.”

“Oh.” Tavish moved to a sitting position. “Hrm. It’s not goingto be stuffy, right? I don’t know if I can stand a bunch of rich folks looking at us—all drinking champagne ‘n talking about the economy.” Despite the fact that he lived in a mansion, Tavish never felt he fit in with the upper crust. They always seemed to know he wasn’t like them. Like they could smell it.

“Um... I really don't know.” Jane shrugged. “She didn't say, I don't know anything about these sorts of shindigs. You want to call her?”

“Sure.” Tavish rubbed the back of his neck and went to the phone. Jane wasn’t far behind him as he tapped in Betsy’s long-memorized number. “Hey Betsy,” he said as soon as she picked up. “Jane was telling me about the event. I, er, wanted to ask, just how fancy is this thing?”

“Well it is black tie.” Betsy explained, “Is that a problem? It's really not an issue if you can't come!”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Tavish shot a look at Jane. It would have been nice to know this was actually important to her. “It’s just Jane ‘n I don’t have a thing to wear.” He said it in jest, only to realize a second later it was probably true. “Well, it’s Friday, aye? I’m sure we can get something together by then.”

“R-really? Ok!” Betsy sounded relieved. “I'll come pick you guys up this time ok? Be ready around six!”

Betsy and Tavish hung up, and Jane started hassling him immediately.

“So are we going then?” Jane prodded, already swinging enthusiasm at it like a piñata.

“We are. Only trouble is it’s black tie. Which means suits.” Which, now that Tavish thought about it, wasn’t a bad idea. His old kilt-jacket combo was a little tight on him now anyways.

“I've never owned a suit.” Jane narrowed his eye. “Where do I get one?”

“Er…suit shop? I don’t really know, I haven’t been in a long time.” Jane look concerned, and Tavish slung an arm around his neck. “Hey, relax! We’ll go together, it’s be great. They treat you like royalty there, all measuring and stuff like that.”

“I don't want some dumb tailor touching me.” Jane grumbled. “Can't we just buy one off a rock somewhere?”

But now that Tavish had sunk his teeth into the idea, he was actually quite excited. “Ach, balderdash! We’ll just two blokes getting ready for a fancy dinner, don’t have to tell them we don’t have dates. Besides, all the measurements will be worth it. A good fitting suit is worth what you pay for.” At least that’s what Spy always said. Or something like that.

Jane still didn’t seem particularly enthused, but he’d see once he got a proper fitting shirt for once.

“I’m not really built for suits,” the soldier grumbled eventually. “It will look weird.

“Weird? Jane you’re built like a bloody roman gladiator. I’m the one who should be a little self-conscious.” Tavish patted his belly good-naturedly.

Jane scratched his cheek. “It's more my face,” he murmured. “Dunno what you're worried about, a little weight doesn't change the fact you were born into this fancy crap.”

“That’s not accurate, and you know it,” Tavish pointed out. “C’mon, you’ve heard all the stories. As much as Mum ‘n Da tried to groom me to be, I never really got the prince-ly experience.”

“But you still know it better than I do,” Jane pointed out. When Tavish shot him a pleading look, he grumbled out, “gine, But I’m not going into some frilly clothes shop alone.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

-

Mum ended up knowing of a particularly nice tailor, though she did complain quite a bit that Tavish should stick with his old formal wear that fit him just fine. He told her he’d take that into consideration as he hurried him and Jane into the car.

The tailor was smaller than he had imagined; it must be a dying art. They were greeted with a couple of strange looks at the door, and Tavish realized the two of them were a bit mis-matched looking. Certainly unlike the usual customers the tailor had, if any.

“Two suits for me ‘n my mate here,” he said, trying to sound as rich as possible. “We need them soon, so whatever can be done fastest.”

The clerk looked him up and down, a solidly neutral expression on his face.

“Please select one of the ready made suits from over here. When you are ready, I will be at the desk.”

Tavish blinked, and watched the clerk walk off with surprise. “Well that was a bit rude, don’t you think?”

Jane just shrugged. “Why? What's a tailor supposed to act like?”

“Well, I thought he’d show us some suits or something. I don’t know, maybe that’s not really what they’re like.”

Tavish began picking at the ready-mades, trying to find something in his size. Anything he got would probably need to be widened in the middle, a procedure he was not looking forward to.

“Hey,” he said, pulling out one with some broad shoulders. “This one might be good on you Jane.”

“You think?” Jane asked cautiously, taking the suit. He held the thing about a foot in front of him, like it would suddenly turn to life and bite.

Leaving Jane to his foe, Tavish started shuffling through the dark greys, finding one that looked like it might fit him.

“Ah, what do you think?” he held it up in front of his chest.

“Looks like a suit!” Jane said blandly.

Tavish shook his head, so Jane decided to leave him alone and look around the shop.

After more shopping, the two of them brought up their selection. “Can I get your professional opinion?” Tavish asked the tailor. “Do these two look too much alike?” They were both black, but they were from different makers, so Tavish was hoping for the best.

“No sir.”

“Er…great then. Can we do a fitting then?”

“Of course sir.”

Tavish rolled his eyes to Jane behind the clerk’s back as he lead them to the fitting room.

“Who's first?” asked the tailor, eyeing the two of them. Jane nudged Tavish forward.

After he changed, he eyed himself in the mirror, and felt a wave of self-consciousness. Carefully, he took off the eyepatch and tried again. No, nope, that was definitely worse.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped out, shooting Jane a look to say he was doing alright. It was quickly cut off as the tailor pounced on him. Knees, waists, neckline, elbows, things Tavish didn’t even know could be measured, all attacked with the tape. It took twenty minutes of uncomfortable silence but finally the clerk snapped up straight.

“If you will excuse me. I’ll go make a record of this.”

When the tailor left, Jane took the chance to get a bit closer.

“He's pretty thorough. I guess that's a good thing?” Jane walked in circles around Tavish as he inspected the suit.

It didn't fit perfectly, that's what the tailoring was for, but it wasn't bad.

“You look good,” Jane mentioned, patting Tavish's shoulder.

Tavish felt the back of his neck go warm, and muttered, “ach, not that good. Wearing actual trousers is so constricting.”

Jane scoffed. “I hope you're not going to lecture me about the merits of skirts again.”

“I’m going to get you into a kilt one of these days,” Tavish said, poking Jane in the shoulder. “Mark my words.”

“The only chance you'll have is at my funeral when I can't fight back.”

Tavish shrugged with an air of detached smugness. “Oh, you never know. People change their minds every day.”

The tailor interrupted their volley with his sudden appearance and, “thank you sir.” Tavish swore he almost sounded bored. First customers in however long and it still wasn’t enough to make him talk like he wasn’t half asleep. “Please change back, and leave the suit on the counter.”

Tavish nodded, mouthing “good luck,” to Jane.

When Jane came back out, Tavish’s mouth went dry. He tired to swallow, but it didn’t help the fact that Jane was standing there, looking just about as handsome as Tavish had ever seen him. Sure the suit was bunched up at his shoulders, and the trousers were a little short. But he looked…indescribably.

He looked humble to, not making eye contact with Tavish as the tailor flitted about hi,

“That will be all,” the tailor said with a snap. “I will be waiting at the desk to discuss payment.” The tailor tossed the measuring tape over his shoulders and walked off once again.

As Jane began to oblige, Tavish cut in with a, “well, you don’t have to take it off quite yet.”

He didn’t bother walking in a circle as Jane had, just stepped straight up to where Jane was stood on the stool. It made him a whole lot taller, so Tavish had to look up to catch a glimpse of his blue eyes. He reached up, pinching each of the lapels and running it through his fingers. He pulled down, just enough to draw Jane toward him.

“What a sight,” he muttered, still a bit dreamily.

Jane grumbled something, but didn’t push Tavish away. When he couldn’t bear it anymore, he simply got off the stool. “I'd rather get out of this sooner than later. It feels so stiff.”

“Ah, don’t worry,” Tavish soothed. “That’s why we’re having them fitted! When they tailor’s done, these’ll fit like a glove. Or gloves. Whatever.” Tavish slipped next to him again.

Jane glared at Tavish's reflection in the mirror. “Stop making that face,” he muttered.

“What face?” Tavish said as he continued to make the face. “I’m just standing here, helping me best mate pick out a suit. Not making any faces, no matter how handsome he looks.”

“You're making that stupid teenage girl lovey-face!” Jane hissed, trying not to draw the tailor's attention. “Now get off. I'm getting changed.” He peeled Tavish off his side and stepped back into the changing room.

-

“So, how much will that be?”

“Four hundred for both suits,” the tailor drawled. “And extra one hundred for the adjustments. If you return this time next week, they will be ready for you.”

Tavish was already pulling the payment out his wallet when he stopped. “Oh, actually we’re going to need these done by Friday.”

The first trace of genuine emotion crossed the tailor’s face, and it involved scrunching up his nose like he’d smelled something foul. “The adjustments will take one week. I am sorry sir, there is nothing that can be-”

Tavish dropped another wad of cash next to the payment.

“…You may pick up your suits this Friday morning.”

-

On Friday, Tavish picked up the suits before work and stowed them in his car. He had a distant paranoia that something would happen to them while he wasn’t watching, but when he started the drive home they were just as he had left them. He walked into the mansion with them on his arm, and package in his other hand that had their ties.

“Who’s ready to get fancy?”

Sgt Whiskers, who had run to the door upon hearing Tavish's arrival, meowed loudly.

“He doesn't mean you!” Jane yelled from somewhere down the hall, appearing only a moment later and scooping the cat up from the floor. “Although I think Sarge would look good in a bowtie.” Jane scratched Whiskers under his chin.

“He’d grown into a very handsome young cat,” Tavish agreed, setting down the suits so he could pet it with his free hand. “Smissmas will be the anniversary of when we got him. We should celebrate, get him something fancy to wear.”

“Speaking of fancy, we should hurry.” Tavish held up the suits. “Betsy will be here any minute.”

They went up to their room, each shuffling about for some respectable underclothes. Jane did at least have a pair of nice shoes Tilly had got for him in the last year, so they hadn’t needed to blow more money at the tailor than they had. Not that Tavish regretted it; if they looked anything like they had in the store, it’d be well worth it.

Gentle folding and tucking in of jackets, and they looked right smart. Tavish snuck a glance over to where Jane was changing, and smiled to see him struggling with his tie.

“How’s it coming love?”

“It’s. Fine!” Jane said, undoing the gnarled knot in his tie for probably the fifth time.

When the knot came out lopsided and looking like a shoelace, Jane sighed in defeat.

Tavish tried not to laugh, but he didn’t try that hard because it came out with a wide smile at Jane’s awkward attempts. It was a fond smile he gave as he walked in front of Jane.

“Mind if I help?”

“…Fine.” Jane lifted his chin as Tavish began undoing the mess he'd made.

Tavish’s fingers found exactly where to put the little loops of fabric. It was a tad different than doing so on his own neck, but he was able to find the solution anyways. When he was done, instead of pulling away, he still gripped the blue tie and stared down at it. Eventually, his eyes made his way up to Jane’s.

He didn’t have much to say, just happy to be in this moment, and let one hand bush behind Jane’s neck. Jane leaned closer, then let the hand on the back of his neck guide their mouths together. The kiss was soft, and short, and just what they needed.

“Tonight’s going to be fun,” Tavish prophesized, the kiss still tingling his lips.

They looked good, Jane especially, the adjustments fitting his broad shoulders just right.

“Yeah yeah,” Jane said, though not as aggressively as ususal. “Although we should probably avoid getting pass-out drunk if we don't want Betsy to look bad.”

“Aww, but who’s going to drink all of that free champagne if not for me?”

Jane laughed, but then wagged a finger at Tavish. “Our seats might have been paid for, but every beer you drink is one you’re stealing from a sick kid.”

“Sick kids are always stopping me from having a good time.”

Nearly an hour later lights could be seen outside, announcing Betsy's arrival. Jane tried to run to the door before her, but she rang the bell just before he arrived. He pulled the door open, revealing Betsy in a flowing, floor-length dress, covered by a light jacket to stave off the night chill.

“You look gorgeous Betsy!” Jane exclaimed.

“And you look very handsome Jane. You clean up well.”

“It's nothing,” he huffed.

“It most certainly is not nothing,” Tavish said as he walked over. “Betsy’s right, you look great.” Tavish gave him a generous pat on the arm.

“You're looking very handsome today as well Tavish,” Betsy added politely. “I should have taken you two as my dates instead!”

“Both of us? How scandalous!” Tavish laughed, and motioned for Betsy to go first. They followed Jane toward the car. “And ‘instead’? Implying you’ve already got a date?”

She turned her head away as the three of them got in the car. “That's not what I meant to imply, Just that I'm bringing you as guests. I'm not really much for dating.”

“But Betsy!” Jane exclaimed, “You're so nice! I'm sure there are tons of men out there that would kill for a chance to date you!”

Betsy smiled lightly. “That's sweet Jane, but I'm honestly I like being on my own. I have family, friends.... It's not like I'm ever lonely.”

“Betsy you’ve got too much love in you for your own good,” Tavish chuckled. “You’re a good aunt and an even better friend, and I’m sure your regular family thinks the same.” He reached forward and shoved the back of Jane’s head. “And if she says she’s not into datin’, she’s not into datin’. Don’t badger the lady, Jane.”

“I'm not badgering! I've said nothing but kind words!” Jane argued back, but Betsy just laughed.

The rest of the drive was spent in pleasant chatter, and they eventually reached the event. They could see many other people arriving, they weren't late, but the parking lot was already nearly full. Betsy eventually found a spot, and the three of them walked up to the large building, Betsy immediately greeted by a man with a booming voice.

When she finally waved him off, Betsy turned to the two of them, “Sorry about that, but it's probably going to happen a lot since I was one of the organizers for tonight.”

“No problem!” Jane butted in. “Doesn't bother us, we are here to support you and eat expensive food.”

“Hey!” Tavish barked. “Weren’t you just telling me not to eat all the food or whatever because it was all supposed to got to the sick kids?”

“I SAID don't drink all the booze! Dinner is already paid for!”

“Relax you two, drink and eat as much as you want.” Betsy motioned them along. “Now come on, I'll show you to our table.”

Tavish and Jane followed Betsy inside, past the groups of chatting people by the entrance and into the main hall. It was huge, with a dance floor set up in the middle and a stage at the far end. Betsy led them to a large table tucked in the corner.

More people continued to filter in, more arriving at the table and Betsy introducing them all. Tavish could tell Jane didn’t care a lick about all the names, so Tavish tried to carry the conversation for both of them.

At that point food started to arrive, to which Tavish muttered, “crap.” He’d forgot that a fancy dinner not only meant nice clothes, but proper eating as well. Mum had taught him all the his table manners when he was a kid, but he’d let the knowledge go slack over the years.

Carefully, he watched Betsy pick up one of the forks. He lifted his own, now pretty sure it was the right one. Slowly, he got back into the swing of things.

Jane on the other hand, was having a bit of trouble. Tavish shoved him in the side whenever he put his elbows on the table.

The salad was bitter, and Tavish as just enough to be considered polite. There were appetizers next, stuffed mushrooms, which he took to with delight. When he started on his ninth one, he whispered to Jane, “these are amazin’! Do you think we could make something like this sometime?”

“Really? Mushrooms?” Jane wrinkled his nose.

Tavish got the message, and piled a bunch more on his plate, seeing as he was never going to have them again.

Lucky for Jane the next course was a filet mignon, followed by a wonderful strawberry cheesecake.

“That was good food.” Jane said, wiping his face with his napkin, to Tavish’s chargrin. “But it definitely tastes best when it's free.” He said just loud enough for Tavish to hear.

“Just like beer always tastes better when it’s free,” Tavish agreed. He blinked. “Hey, that reminds me, wasn’t there supposed to be like glasses of champagne or something?”

“Hmmm, maybe they’re saving it for when the betting starts,” Jane suggested. “Have people make poor decisions.”

Ten minutes later Betsy slipped from their table and appeared up on stage, walking up to the mic and greeting the guests. She talked bout the purpose of the night, and explained the upcoming auction before introducing the auctioneer himself.

“First,” the auctioneer began, and Tavish could already feel his eyelid start to droop. This wasn’t the wild talk-so-fast-your-tongue-fell-out sort of action you see on TV, it was sterile as hundreds of rich folks looked up front with rapt attention. “We have a genuine Milo Baughman writing desk, dating from 1822, donated by Mr. and Mrs. Leopold Diaz. May we begin the auction at thirty-four hundred?”

Tavish shook himself, trying to focus as the first paddle went up. He hadn’t even noticed that the waiters had placed them when the plates had been taken away.

Just like Jane predicted, the champagne was soon coming around, and Tavish eagerly grabbed a glass, hoping some alcohol would help with the boredom. Jane joined him. They shot glances at each other every time someone made a bet on a particularly ridiculous item, taking companionship in their mutual boredom. A “genuine Featherstone” lamp wracked up half a million dollars, and Tavish caught Jane’s eye so the two them could share a Look.

Another painting came up on stage. This time though it was an incredibly detailed landscape, with green rolling hills and soft white clouds.

“I will start the bidding at $200.” The auctioneer said to the crowd.

As Tavish gazed at the picture, he felt something that wasn’t complete disinterest. Not that the painting had any more technical skill than the rest of the artworks put on that night, but something about it was…more. As Tavish gazed at it from across the room, the landscape seemed to almost shimmer with past rain, the clear sky showing that the storm had receded. Distantly, nestled between the hills, he could almost see the edges of the ocean.

“Four hundred,” someone said.

“Nine hundred,” another voice called out.

“Jane,” Tavish said, halting their under-the-table shenanigans. “We came here to help out Betsy, aye? What’d you say we buy something’, just so we’re not a couple of freeloaders.”

Jane considered it for a second. Then, he offered a resounding, “ONE THOUSAND!” that bounced around the hall.

Tavish chuckled. He should have known Jane would never give up the opportunity to yell.

But despite that, the bid was followed by another, and the auctioneer was soon saying, “Do we have a twenty-nine hundred?’

Despite the fact that it was his idea, Tavish was a little gun shy at the attention directed at their table. He scanned the upper tables, and caught sight of Betsy’s surprise. He gave her a wink.

It was now down to three, pricing three thousand between Jane, a woman at the next table over, and a man who had bought at least three other items tonight near the front of the room.

Jane, of course was up for a fight. “Thirty-five hundred!”

All eyes were on Jane as he boosted the price, trying to scare off the other buyers. It seemed to work, the woman now shaking her head and leaning back in her chair.

“Thirty-five hundred going once!” The auctioneer said.

Jane glared at the other man, who looked ready to bid again. But one glance at Jane and he awkwardly tightened his tie, then leaned back in his chair.

“Going twice!.... Sold!”

Jane looked over at Tavish, proudly crossing his arms over his chest.

Tavish shook his head. “You’re a wild man, mate. You can get competitive about anything. It’s a good thing I rather fancied that painting.”

The rest of the table agreed, congratulating Jane on his victory over the other bidders, and his generosity toward the hospital.

More items were auctioned off, Jane and Tavish drank more champagne, and soon enough the auction was over. Betsy returned, sitting down at their table with a sigh.

“You guys didn't have to do that you know,” she said.

“Ah, but we wanted to, lass!” Tavish promised. “I liked the painting and Jane likes helping you out. Match made in heaven. Speaking of, this was a great party you just threw. Everyone here is slightly less stuffy than I imagined.”

“Thanks Tavish,” she smiled. “Though it’s not over yet.” As if to illustrate her point the lights were slightly dimmed, and music began to play. “And if you're not much into dancing don't worry, I'll probably only stay for another hour, getting a little tired.”

Jane motioned her away. “Go enjoy your party Betsy, don't worry about us.”

“It's not MY party...”

“Go .” Tavish insisted, and gently pushed Betsy toward a group of people. They were near where a dance floor was slowly being created as the staff moved the tables.

Betsy gave Tavish and Jane a wave, then joined the group. Tavish could tell they were important people by the way they created space in the crowd, probably some of her fellow organizers.

Jane and Tavish moved to the side, drinks in hand, and watched. A few men asked Betsy to dance—which she obliged—and Tavish wondered if that was just because they were being polite, or if they were interested in her. Betsy as she moved around the dance floor, changing partners every song or two.

“Hey there,” a voice greeted out of nowhere. “It's Jane right?”

Jane and Tavish both jumped, so absorbed in watching the party they hadn’t noticed the woman walk up beside him. She was one of the ones Betsy had introduced, but Tavish couldn't remember her name.

“Yeah that's me. Anything I can help you with?” Jane asked stiffly.

“I was wondering if you would like to dance?” She asked, smiling up at him.

“Oh. Um.” Jane coughed. “Sorry but.... I've got... A bad. Knee.”

Her face fell. “Oh... Alright.”

The woman ducked her head, and Tavish watched her disappear into the rest of the crowd. “Why’d you turn her down? Dancing actually sounds like a lot of fun.”

“I don't know how to do that crap!” Jane hissed under his breath. “Besides, it wouldn't feel right just... leaving you here.”

Tavish just shrugged. “Well, it’s not like we can go out there and dance together. If you want to go out there and have a little fun, don’t let me hold you back.” Tavish watched the dancers for a second longer before blinking. “Wait. Don’t know how to it? As in you don’t know how to dance?”

“Why would I know how to do some beatnik’s boogie?” Jane glared at his drink. “I don’t know how they do it up in those hills, but down here the only thing a man does with feet is run to the front lines.”

“You’ve never run to the front lines a day in your life. All you did was jump there.”

As more dancers spun past, the night went soft around the edges. Tavish lost track of Betsy at some point, but the other guests weren’t bad to look at either. It was all so graceful. Distantly, he wondered if he if even could dance anymore, the childhood waltzes, quicksteps, and boleros a faint memory from when his mother made him hold his spine straight and chin high. Maybe it was like riding a bike, and he could fall right back into it. Or maybe he’d just look like a fool if he tried.

He started to think about him and Jane on the floor, following each step with all the other guests, smiles on their faces and finding that perfect rhythm within each other. Pure fantasy of course. Besides, Jane had just told him he couldn’t dance anyways.

Betsy ended up staying longer than she'd planned, but still returned to them relatively early in the night.

The painting was wrapped up in brown paper to keep in from any damage, and Jane carried it out to the car. Tavish was glad they had taken his check even though Jane was the one who had bet. But, all the money went to the hospital anyways, so they probably weren’t too picky.

He dropped into the back seat with an _oof_ , glad to take a load off his feet. “I don’t know how you danced all night like that Betsy. You hardly look like you’re out of breath.”

“It's hard to feel tired when you're so busy. I'm feeling it now though.” She let out a yawn, which both Jane and Tavish ended up catching. “I'm taking you guys straight home, I'm done for the night.”

They waved goodbye to Betsy when she dropped them off, Tavish grabbed the painting and decided to lock it up in the nursery, just in case Whiskers decided to scratch at the paper during the night.

Jane was slower getting in the house, and when he didn’t come up stairs, Tavish worried he’d fallen asleep on the couch. But that hypothesis went away as Tavish closed the door to the nursery, Tavish could hear the faint sound of music coming from downstairs. He followed it, pushing open the music room door. The piano was unattended, so he was momentarily confused as to where the soft playing was coming from. But soon it was joined by a sting quartet and a trumpet, and he located his mother’s gramophone creaking its old tunes. Between the electric record player and the radio, Mum hardly used the aging cranked machine anymore. But she still had it, an ancient relic from when this was the fanciest thing the DeGroots had owned.

“What’s all this?” Tavish asked, spotting Jane standing by it firmly.

“T-teach me,” Jane demanded, with all the finesse he usually possessed.

“Teach you?” Tavish looked down at the outstretched hand, the pieces falling into place. “Oh. Oh! I mean, are you sure? From the way you talked at the party I didn’t think it’d even be something you’d want to do.”

“I didn't say that.” Jane frowned, withdrawing his hand. “I just didn't want to do it without you. Or, I don't know... I just want to try.”

Tavish smiled softly. “Alright. I suppose there’s no harm in that. Don’t expect too much though! It’s been years, and I’ve nevre been the one to teach before.”

Closing the gap between them, Tavish took Jane’s and placed it on his shoulder.

“Hey! Who said you were leading?” Jane bristled.

“Oh, am I supposed to teach you _and_ follow? Bit of a choosing beggar, aren’t you?”

“Shut up,” Jane replied. “You're the one with the weird hedonistic lifestyle you... You rich, pompous, idiot.” The insult fell flat.

“That’s me!” Tavish replied cheerily, holding Jane’s other hand with his own, supporting them to the side of their bodies. “Passionate love affairs, sparkling champagne, attending parties every other night, truly the life of self-indulgent debauchery.” Finally, he placed his hand on Jane’s hip, entangling them in each other for the lesson. “But I don’t stop there. Sometimes, I just dance the night away, so in love I forget to stop.”

A smile played along Jane’s lips. “Well, I suppose it doesn't matter what type of garbage you get up to, as long as you do it with me.”

With the two of them finally in the proper position, Tavish tilted his head, loosening his neck until the beat began to move it for him. He recognized this song, deep memories from when his mother would sit in the living room and tinker, occasionally letting him run his hands over her work to see how things went.

“It’s a good thing you picked a waltz. Easies to teach. It’s just a one-two-three, and we can start in half-time.” Tavish began to hum in time, so that Jane could hear the beat.

“I honestly picked it at random,” Jane said, tapping his foot long to the beat.

“Well, first we’ll do the steps in a square. Then, once we’ve both go that down, we can move around the room. So! First, it goes ONE two three.” Tavish moved his foot forwards slightly, then back again on the next two beats. “I’ll be going forward, and you’ll mirror me going back. Got it?”

“…Affirmative?”

When Tavish stepped forward, Jane stepped back, lagging a bit behind the beat. He kept staring at his feet, trying to keep them the proper distance away. The less he focused on the music, the more out of sync he became.

“Hey,” Tavish said after Jane lost beat for the third time and ended up steeping on Tavish’s shoe. He stopped them, letting their hands drop. “You’re thinking too hard. You need to listen, it’s the only way you’re going to be able to feel the music.”

Jane only made more noises of frustration.

Tavish pushed him on the arm. “No, hey, it’s okay. You just need to convince yourself it’s not that complicated. Once you do that, all you’re doing is moving your feet.”

“First time someone's told me I'm thinking too much,” Jane joked. Jane and Tavish got back into position, and began moving once again.

This time, when began his feet, Tavish nudged him. Jane ended up screwing his eyes shut, some how that began to work. This time he avoided stepping on Tavish's feet, even if his movements were still a bit stiff. In between movements, Tavish caught glimpses of Jane’s face, how sweet he looked with his eyes closed in concentration.

“That’s it,” Tavish said in encouragement. “There you go, it’s alright, you can trust me.” He lead them through the simple steps, brushing off his skills with more ease than he had expected.

They kept it up, dancing through the entire A side of the record. When there was nothing but the crackle of the gramophone in the room, he stopped them, grinning as Jane opened his eyes.

“You’ve been holding out on me! Should’ve known you had secret dancing feet.”

“I do not!”

Tavish elbowed him to show it was a compliment.

Jane rolled his shoulders back. “I guess it's not that much different then synchronized rocket jumping.... you lose the rhythm and the whole thing goes to shit.”

Jane let go of Tavish, running over to flip the record. “This time I'll keep my eyes open, Soon I will surpass you Tavish.”

They slid back into position, sharing a smile that warmed Tavish in the deep recesses of his body, burning away sleep hiding in his joints. “Alright, this time, we’re going to move. It’s kind of a slow turn around the room, but still doing the steps. I’ll make sure we don’t bump into anything.”

Alexi 3/12/2017 1:52:05 PM

“I'm ready.” Jane said, determination evident on his face. He could take anything as a challenge.

As the next song started, Tavish began to move.

It was such an all-encompassing dance. Their new rhythm guided them through the room like they were floating on clouds, and Tavish couldn’t help but be pleasantly surprised at Jane’s sudden progress.

He brought their faces as close together as possible without knocking heads, blocking out the rest of the world. They were almost close enough to steal a kiss in-between steps, only a few inches more. It was a perfect moment…

Until Tavish walked them directly into the piano.

The instrument made an ugly sound, and the two of them stumbled off balance, but with a tight grip on each-other they managed to stay upright.

There was a quietness as the two of them recovered, no sound other than the music, still playing as if nothing had happened.

Jane began to laugh uproariously, then declared “that wouldn't have happened if I was leading.”

“Ach, bull!” Tavish yelled, but didn’t get much further than that as Jane’s laugh became infectious.

It started off as a chuckle, but eventually he had to lean on the piano as belting laughter took over them. They were both howling, the sheer ridiculousness of two grown men stumbling about the room a sudden realization.

“And what the absolute hell is going on down here!” At the voice in the doorway, they both turned into statues. “It’s one in the bloody morning!”

“Mum!” Jane exclaimed, looking like a deer in the headlights. “We... We were... We were dancing.”

Despite the fact that Mum did not look like she thought it funny, Tavish found himself catching Jane’s snickers again. She turned her attention to him with a sneer.

“Well I’m sure you can find some other hour of the day to… _dance_ …that isn’t unholy!” She did look very tired, but Tavish didn’t feel too guilty.

“Sorry mum, won’t happen again,” he said with as much solemnity he could must. She looked like she didn’t quite believe him. Jane went to turn off the record player.

“Hmm. Fine. But since you two have cut into me schedule don’t expect me to be up on time.”

They assured her they wouldn’t wake her anymore, and watched her take her journey back up the stairs.

Tavish looked over at Jane, still grinning. “So. Good lesson?”

“Yes, thank you.” Jane walked over to Tavish, and pulled him into an embrace. He pressed his face against Tavish's neck, taking a slow breath. “Today was fun.”

“Aye! The whole day. These rich folks really know how to cook their meat!” Tavish bumped Jane’s head with his cheek, then took a step back. He yawned, stretching enough to hear the pops in his spine. “But, let’s go change out of these. I’m ready for some sweatpants.”

“Mmph.... Me too.” They shut off the light and headed upstairs, Tavish making sure Jane hung his suit up properly before getting in bed.

Jane pulled Tavish to him in bed, getting that kiss he'd been denied earlier due to a poorly placed piano.

-


	19. Chapter 19

“We should get a photo of all of us together, especially Sarge in his little bow,” Tavish suggested as Smissmas morning came.

“Good idea!” Jane said, getting up and grabbing the camera case.

He’d gone hard for his new camera, taking nearly every opportunity to hone his hobby since the summer. He didn't have a tripod, but he did have a little button on a cable he could attach to the camera and take a photo while still being in the frame.

“Tilly, get on the couch.” Jane ordered, stacking books on the coffee table to try to get the camera to the right height, periodically looking through the viewfinder.

“You got a lot ofnerve to boss me around!” she said, not moving. “What if I don’t want my picture taken?”

“Are you kidding?” Tavish scoffed. “You love getting photographed. We got books upon books to prove it.”

Tilly grumbled something, but it wasn’t until Tavish came over to help her out of her chair that she eventually got on the couch. Once she was seated, Tavish scooped up Whiskers as gently as possible and sat next to Tilly.

“Ok... ok... good!” Jane finally stopped adjusting the camera, and grabbed the little button before scurrying over to the couch. He reached over to Whiskers, straightening the cat's bow tie and trying to make him face the camera.“Ok I'm taking the picture on 3.... 1... 2... 3!”

Jane pressed his thumb down on the button and the camera flashed, blinding the three of them temporarily. With a click, the camera started to spit out the Polaroid. Jane jumped up to grab it before it fell to the ground.

“It’s great! Another one for the books.” Jane smiled, carefully tucking the photo in with all the others he'd taken. It was a lot more scrapbook material. “Thanks again for this camera Tavish. I'm glad you gave it to me when you did. If you'd waited for Smissmas I'd still be figuring out how to use it and we'd have no photos.”

As important as their baby was, Jane felt it was important to document their time before the kid too. He loved making these memories. Now he knew even if he started forgetting things again he'd always have a reminder.

\---------------

In a turn of good luck, their favorite bar was having an event of sorts for the New Year. Half price drinks for the first hour after midnight, but Tavish and Jane would have come anyway. It was not quite as lively as last time (after all, there were plenty of bars open on New Years) but still busier than the usual days.

They arrived to the bar at nine sharp, grabbing the last two seats at the bar and getting started immediately on their inebriation. Other than the bartender, they'd yet to recognize anyone from their previous visits, but that didn't mean they weren't still coming.

“It’s lucky we nabbed these,” Tavish spoke up above the din. “Wouldn’t be excited to stand for another four hours.”

The drinks were coming fast and good, Marco disappearing in and out from behind the bar. It looked like he’d gotten extra help for the night as well as some added security. Tavish didn’t blame him; every New Years party he’d been to did tend to get rowdy.

On TV, the channel was set to the big party in New York, where the ball would be dropping in an hour. It’d still be another two hours after that for it to turn midnight in New Mexico, but they had plenty of drinks to pass the time.

With all the noise in the bar, Jane and Tavish could talk easily without fears of being overheard. Not that they had to keep as much secret in this place, but some things were still private.

“You know…I’ll miss this.” Jane said over his drink. “Gone are the days of getting drunk and doing stupid things.”

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll do plenty of stupid things when the newcomer gets here,” Tavish shrugged. “Maybe not on purpose this time, but it’s just who we are as people. And hey, maybe when they’re a bit older they’ll want to do stupid stuff with us.”

Jane nodded. For the first time, he wondered what their kid would actually be like. Sure they’d discussed how Jane and Tavish might change, but in the end they had no idea what sort of person the actual baby would be. Maybe they’d think their dads were a couple of morons who took to many risks.

“Who knows... the mixture of you, drunk and reckless, and me, unstoppable Nazi killing machine, it’s going to be on hell of a troublemaker.” Jane lifted his hand to rub his chin.

“Not sure what sort of nature versus nurture philosophy you’re working on love, but I’ll buy it.”

The TV played various musicians, none of which Jane recognized. It was yet another sign he was getting old if all the popular music was so beyond him now a’ days. The giant ball started its slow descent down the pole, and the bar quieted a little to watch it drop.

“Wait, when do we kiss?” Jane asked suddenly as the ball continued to lower. “When the ball drops, or when it’s actually New Years?”

Tavish grinned across at him. “Both. Both is good.”

The sixty second counter had started, people on the TV and those in the bar all either counting or talking loudly in excitement.

“Ten…nine…eight…”

Tavish was swept up in the chanting, smacking his fist in time on the wooden bar. Jane himself was a bit more caught up in watching Tavish, A weirdly exhibitionist thrill creeping up inside him at the though of kissing him in front of all these people.

“Seven!... Six!... Five!...”

Jane joined in too, enjoying the thick atmosphere of celebration.

“Four…three…two….

Jane had to remind himself not to be too distracted. The most important part of New Years was sitting right next to him after all. He leaned forward, and tugged on Tavish’s shirt.

“One!... Happy New Year!”

The cheers echoed around the bar, but Tavish and Jane had gone quiet, only pulling away after a several seconds of buzzing contact.

They locked eyes, and Jane laughed, sounding particularly giddy when he called Marco over to get him another beer. He rested his head on his hand and looked over at Tavish, eyes glazed over with both alcohol and passion, a familiar combination for the two.

Everyone seemed to be laughing, glad of a new year with new beginnings. The channel switched over to watch the countdown in Chicago, but it didn’t have nearly the spectacle.

Tavish tilted his head at Jane. “And what are you looking at, stranger?” he teased his lovestruck drinking companion.

“Just the most handsome man I've ever seen.” Jane uttered, smiling a bit wider, “Wondering what he could possibly be doing here all alone.”

“Ahh just drinking his life away unfortunately,” Tavish hummed. “He’s terribly lonely. He’s missed so much; if only he had someone who loved him, and a family who was there. Then his life would be utterly perfect. But, alas, it appears I’ll be spendinganother New Years alone.”

“Such a shame.” Jane said, “Maybe we should fix that.” He reached his other hand across the gap between their chairs, taking Tavish's hand in his own. “Not so lonely now, right?”

“No, not any more.” Tavish smiled.

How had he ever survived without Tavish? Even in the years that they’d dated, they’d only spend New Years together once or twice. Jane could only see how lonely he’d been without him with hindsight.

The impromptu roleplay was ended by Jane's sudden snickering, the alcohol helping him find their little skit all the funnier. “I know I've said it a lot, but I'm so happy we are always together now. I still can't believe we are not sick of each other.”

“I could never be sick of you,” Tavish assured him. “Though I could stand to stop finding Guns & Haircuts magazines stashed strange places in my house. I mean, hidden in the silverware drawer? Really?”

“I like to read them when I cook sometimes!” Jane argued, “I mean we ONLY have five bathrooms. I could only put a stack in each. Where else was I supposed to put them?”

“I don’t know! Turn the attic into your own personal library if you want.” Tavish threw up his hands in half-hearted exasperation. “But don’t let Mum catch you reading in the kitchen.”

“That's silly, If I wasn't allowed to read in the kitchen why'd she give me all those cookbooks?”

“I cannot pretend to understand the inner machinations of that woman’s mind,” Tavish replied.

“It's probably because I'm her favorite,” Jane teased, thanking Marco when he finally brought over the beer he'd asked for. “She'd let me get away with murder.”

“She has!” Tavish pointed out. “Even you can’t have forgotten when we used to be murders for hire only a couple of years ago.”

She was a demowoman herself at one point, so it’s not like she can judge. Either way I'm still her favorite.” Jane let gave Tavish a smirk and took a sip of his beer.

“You’re infuriatin’,” Tavish said, but smiled anyway.

They watched it turn midnight in Chicago, and finally began the hour-long countdown until the New Year had reached their time zone. The crowd displayed on the television above the bar was now in Phoenix, and the bar was once again abuzz.

“You guys staying for half-priced drinks?” Marco asked them in one of his rare free moments.

“Are you kiddin’? Like we’d ever miss it!” Tavish was heavily drunk now, leaning against Jane with an arm around him.

“Yeah we should... probably slow down the drinking, or we won't be able to take advantage of it.” Jane said, speech slightly slurred.

When Marco got back to work Jane sighed, turning to nuzzle his face into Tavish's neck. He wasn't sure when they'd started embracing either, but he was glad they were.

“Really glad we got a hotel beforehand this time,” Jane muttered. “If I walked too far out of this place I’d end up fallinga sleep on a park bench again.”

Tavish bumped Jane with his hip. “We used to do that all the time, remember? We’d stay out way too later, pass out, and then have to wake up when they kicked us out of whatever public property we always end up at. And then you’d let me stay at your apartment after because I’d be too smashed to go home.”

“You'd always take the bed without asking.” Jane grumbled, “We ended up wedged together in that thing so many times...” Jane didn't even own a couch at his old apartment, there had really been no choice but for the two of them to squeeze onto the little twin mattress shoved in the corner. “If I didn't now any better I'd think you did it on purpose to share a bed with me.”

“It wasn’t like that!” Jane laughed at him, and Tavish frowned. “It’s true! Well…maybe I liked sharing with you on a subconscious level…but I never actually thought about it like _that_.”

He just kept laughing, it was so easy to tease Tavish about these sorts of things.

“At the time I thought it was kind of weird... but I guess I liked it too. It was my own decision not to just sleep on the floor anyway,” Jane tried to reassure him.

“It wasn’t weird, “ Tavish grumbled. “If we hadn’t ended up where we are today it wouldn’t have meant anything, just a couple of mates crashing in a small space.” He wiggled uncomfortably. “Although…I am glad you didn’t mind. I always figured if you had a problem with it you would’ve told me to fuck off and take a nap on the floor.”

Jane snorted, “You passed out so fast I had no TIME to tell you to fuck off. Meanwhile I was too drunk and uncoordinated to haul your ass off the bed.”

He punched Tavish's arm before returning to his drink.

Despite their attempts at self-control, they were still pretty drunk by the time the last minute rolled around. When the countdown started, Jane didn't join in this time, and instead just listened to the other people count down to the new year.

“One! Happy New Year!” everyone yelled once again. Because there’s always a good excuse to celebrate, and drunk people are experts at finding that excuse.

Jane and Tavish kissed again, more confidently this time. It was impassioned, if a little uncoordinated.

“We’re in for a good year Jane,” Tavish hummed against Jane’s lips.

“I love you,” Jane said quietly, so Tavish could only just hear it over the blaring music and cheering.

And screw stuff about moderation because the only thing Jane could do in that moment was kiss him again.

Tavish and Jane were at Betsy's house one evening, to help her move some furniture.   
  
“I'm sorry to have you guys do this, but I got a good deal on the couch and my old one was just so worn out...” Betsy prattled on. She was no longer capable of heavy lifting, and had asked for their help rearranging her living room.  
  
“You don't need to apologies so much Betsy, we like you.” Jane said.

“Besides,” Tavish added, “we like movin’ heavy things. Proves we’re useful.” He showed this by attempting the scooch the old couch a few feet and failing miserably. He stood up straight and put his hands on his back with a grunt. “Well. Useful as a package.”

Jane watched his display, unimpressed.. “We balance out to make one averagely useful person.”

  
Tavish ignored that one. “So where’d you say you got this thing from?” he asked of the slightly pinkish furniture. It wasn’t exactly modern looking, but it did fit the ‘cat lady’ feel of Betsy’s home. “’S cute.”

“Oh! I had it ordered in from that place at the mall. They had it in gray but that would have been a little dull for my tastes.” Betsy explained. “You don't have to worry about getting rid of the old one, I have someone from the thrift shop coming to pick it up tomorrow.”  
  
“Alright.” Jane dusted off his hands. “Anything else you need?”  
  
“No, nothing else. Besides, I think the cats have had enough disruption for today.”

The poor cats were nowhere to be seen since they'd brought the couch in. They were probably off hiding somewhere. Tavish made some clucking noises, trying to draw one of them out, but it was to no avail, and now he could hear Jane chuckling at him.  
  
“What? I wanted to see our little friends,” he deflected.

“You're friends with all cats now hmmm?” Jane raised his eyebrow. “I thought you only really liked Sgt. Whiskers.”   
  
Tavish opened his mouth to argue back but was interrupted by Betsy.  
  
“Oh!... You guys...” She paused, placing a hand on her belly. “The baby is kicking!”   
  
Jane's jaw dropped open, “Like.... hard?”  
  
Betsy laughed, “No! It's just barely there, feels like butterflies in your stomach. Here, its gentle...” She grabbed Jane's hand, placing it on the side of her belly.   
  
“Oh my god that's.... That's the baby?” He asked softly.  
  
“Yup.” Betsy replied.  
  
Jane grabbed Tavish's hand now, yanking him across the couch and placing his hand where Jane's had just been. Tavish's body was now smushed against Jane, the three of them crowded onto the far end of the couch. Practically frozen in shock, Tavish stilled, the only thing he could feel was his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. But then, he felt it: a tiny little _thump_ in Betsy’s stomach as their kid kicked out at them.  
  
“By the Lord’s holy hands…” Tavish swore. He got down on his knees so he wasn’t crushed between Betsy and Jane anymore.  
  
He felt the baby again, and looked up at Jane with amazement in his eye. Jane placed his own hand back on Betsy's belly, slightly overlapping Tavish's hand. They made eye contact again, Jane's face splitting into a wide grin.  
  
“I can hardly believe it…” Tavish said, still awestruck. “They must have strong legs. I hope they’re good at football. I could teach them. It’ll be great.”  
  
He was babbling just a bit. In the back of his mind he knew that the baby was getting stronger, but even with the photos from the ultrasound it was so real to feel them.The kicking stopped, and Tavish was disappointed. He removed his hand, finally giving Betsy some space.  
\----

The expectation date was growing so close it was hard to believe. Jane practically bounced everywhere he walked, and Tavish walked around with that big stupid grin on his face all the time. The air smelled fresh with spring, April only brining some of its promised showers. The long Easter weekend would be any day now, a welcome distraction to be excited about something different.

“This is driving me crazy,” Jane groaned, leaning back from a pile of cookboosk and flopping back on the couch. “I keep asking Tilly if stuff goes together and she always says no, but he won't suggest anything!”

“Ach, just like old times,” Tavish said. He came behind the couch to rub Jane’s shoulders. “Remember when you first moved in? She messed with you nonstop, just to get a rise out of you.”

“I know! But you'd think she'd get tired of it by now.” He sighed, relaxing a bit as Tavish continued to massage his shoulders. “I think I'm done for tonight, I'll figure it out tomorrow. Anything interesting happen at work?” Jane leaned his head back to look upside-down at Tavish behind the couch.

“For once, yes,” Tavish hummed, sinking his thumbs deep into Jane’s muscles. “Ortiz’s uncle died, and threw a series of unfortunate events, it looks like she’s not getting along well with her family right now. I invited her over for Easter.”

Jane's brow creased, “I'm sorry to hear that,” He murmured, before his eyes suddenly widened, “Wait! I mean I'm happy! No....” He blinked up at Tavish, mouth open like a dead fish. “I'm happy she's coming, but I'm sorry her uncle died. Is having so many people going to be a problem?”

Tavish laughed, ruffling Jane’s short hair and joining him on the couch.

“I think it'll be fun to have Ortiz here,” Jane admitted after a moment. “I hope her and Betsy get along.”

“I’m sure they will. I mean they’re both…” Tavish looked up at the ceiling for answers. “…Short?”

Jane snorted. “Betsy isn't short, we're just tall. Ortiz is short though.” He snickered a bit more. “It's just that I know Ortiz is ok with us but... How will she react to Betsy? You told her about the baby thing, right?”

“That I did.” Tavish scratched Whiskers behind the ears as he sat down. “She took it pretty well.”

Jane frowned, but it was best to take Tavish at his word.

“I cannot believe it’s only a month away,” Tavish noted, tucking his head over Jane’s. “We’re going to be dads, Mum’s going to be a grandmum. Whiskers is going to be a brother.”

“Yeah... We'll have to make sure he knows we still love him. I read that older siblings can sometimes get jealous of new babies.” Jane glanced at the cat as well, “We love you Sarge... You're a good soldier.”

Whiskers meowed in recognition.

“Oh,” Tavish said, popping up his head suddenly. “We should probably tell Betsy beforehand. About Ortiz. Just so she’s not surprised.”

“Good idea, I'll call her tomorrow.” Jane said.

Jane could run a few miles and be as peppy as ever, but skimming through a few books had him dead on his feet.

-

On Easter, Jane had the honor of driving Betsy to the mansion. “So when is your friend getting here?” she asked Tavish as she took a seat on the patio chair.

“Well,” Tavish scratched the back of his head. “To be honest, I thought she’d be here by now. Maybe she got lost? She’s never been here before…”

“Lost? We’re the only bloody thing around!” Tilly pointed out. “She couldn’t miss us.”

“Maybe I should go stand outside with some balloons, just in case.”

Jane laughed, “Yeah, she couldn't miss that sight.”

“Well she still might have gotten lost... did you give her instructions on how to get here?” Betsy asked.

“I did but-”

There was a knocking at the door.

“Ach! Mum? Did you order a VCR repair man?”

“No, why would I bloody-”

“Good! That means that’s her.”

Jane went back the way he came, opening the door to reveal a harried look Ortiz. She took one look at Jane, registered that it was him, and then said, “you never told me you lived in a fucking mansion. “

“We didn’t?” He looked over his shoulder at Tavish, who appeared behind him with a shrug. “Well, glad you found it I guess. Welcome to our home, glad you could make it!”

She took it, but was busy looking around the mansion, still star struck. “Yeah. Uh. Good to see you too Jane.” She screwed up her face at the both of them. “So if you guys are so rich, what the hell are you doing still working at Ransky’s?”

“Err…” Tavish rubbed his neck. “I mean, still gotta work? It makes me Mum happy for one…”

“Yeah, she kind of believes in always working... Oh, you haven't met her yet have you?” Jane interrupted, pulling Ortiz inside. “Come on, she'd in the kitchen with Betsy.”

Ortiz, followed then shot a look at Tavish. “Do you think she’s going to like me?”

“Probably not, no.”

“Oh.”

Ortiz walked in to the kitchen and let Jane introduce her. “Hey. Everyone. Nice to meet you.”

“This is Tavish's friend from work, Ortiz.” Jane said happily, “Ortiz this is my friend Betsy, and this is Tavish's mother, Mrs. DeGroot.”

Betsy came forward first to shake Ortiz's hand.

“Nice to meet you Ortiz,” she said.

Ortiz stared rather indiscreetly at Betsy’s baby bump as she shook her hand. “Yeah. Likewise… heard so much about you.”

“This is the little lassie that got you two all shook up? “ Mum said all of a sudden, appearing at Ortiz’s other side. “Cannot understand what all the fuss was about…”

“Mum!” Tavish sputtered.

“We're not all shook up!” Jane complained, wedging himself between Ortiz and Tilly before she could say something else embarrassing.

“And I’m not little! Or at least, not that little…” Ortiz complained.

“Sure you are,” Mum said, talking to both of them. She pointed her finger at Ortiz. “Your voice is coming from way down there missy. Cannot believe these two have been hiding you for so long.”

“We haven’t been hiding her-” Tavish protested, but Mum waved him off.

“Don't worry, she acted the same way around me when we first met,” Betsy said to Ortiz, patting her on the back. Ortiz frowned grimly, but looked like she appreciated the gesture.

“Well, er, so that’s Mum,” Tavish supplied. “I tried to warn you.”

“Yeah, I guess you did.” Ortiz looked at the remaining people in the kitchen. “So. Happy Easter I guess?”

“Happy Easter!” Jane cheered, joined in by Betsy soon after.

“So would you like something to drink?” Jane asked the two women.

“I brought sparkling cider.” Betsy piped up, producing a large bottle from her purse.

“Right, Tavish can still put it in a nice glass for you. Ortiz?”

“Beer, right?” Tavish asked, already going to grab Betsy a glass.

“Tavish, I drove here.”

“Ach. Right. A light beer then?”

Ortiz rolled her eyes.

\----------

They all eventually ended up in the living room, most of them enjoying to pot of tea Tavish had made. Dinner came around, and for once the amount of chairs at the dinning room table was appropriate.

“…Sounds fun, we should do that sometime!” Jane agreed to the meandering conversation. “Well, I guess we'll have to wait since the new arrival is coming soon.” He glanced over at Betsy, who was currently enjoying the baked ham. She gave him a thumbs up.

“Oh, yeah,” Ortiz said a bit too loudly. She cleared her throat. “It’s coming soon? No, wait, I uh just meant that you looked pretty big is all. Oh hell…”

Betsy had finally finished her ham, and turned to Ortiz, “Yes, the baby is due in three weeks, and I'm usually pretty on time.”

Ortiz flushed slightly. “Well that’s great to hear. I’m happy for you guys, all of you. You’re going to be awesome parents, I know it.”

“Well, Betsy’s not going to be a mum, she’s just going to be the aunt,” Tavish explained patiently.

“Oh. Right.”

“I dunno, if I told you this,” Tavish went on, “but I’m taking two weeks off when the baby comes. After that, and we all get settled, you should come by sometime. Meet the baby.”

“Really?” she asked, her mouth hanging open slightly.

“Yeah... Why not?” Jane agreed.

“Oh. Wow.” Ortiz poked at her egg salad. “I guess, just because it’s my first time here and I feel very…welcomed. You’ve been really nice, and I’ve been mostly a stranger.”

“Ach,” Tilly put in. “Hardly a stranger when I hear enough about you. Besides, we’ve been attracting family add-ons like goats to grain. What’s one more?”

“I agree,” Betsy added, “You seem very nice, I'm sure we'll all continue to get along.”

“You’re all…very sweet.” She coughed, and then lapsed in to silence.

Tavish chuckled. “Alright, everyone stop being nice to her. If we say anything more I’m sure she’s going to turn into goo right in front of us.”

Betsy and Ortiz ended up chatting animatedly about animals all through dessert, Jane never would have expected lizards and cats had so much in common. He asked anybody if they wanted seconds, but everyone was so full from dinner they all refused. Jane left the table to pack up a plate of leftovers for Betsy, and as an afterthought, wrapped up an extra slice of pie for Ortiz as well.

When he was done everyone moved into the living room, Ortiz and Betsy's conversation had calmed down a bit by this point, and Jane was surprised to see Tavish was next to Betsy on the couch.

“Jane come here! The baby is kicking again.” Betsy called him over.

Jane rushed to her side, ignoring Ortiz staring awkwardly at the wall, sitting down and letting her guide his hand to her belly. Sure enough, he could feel something knocking against his palm.

“Sweet Jesus that's intense!” Jane guffawed, “Are you sure that doesnp't hurt?”

“No Jane, it's normal. The baby is just so big now you can really feel it. You can see it too if you watch closely.”

“It's.... pretty weird.” He admitted, “Not that the baby is weird, or Betsy is weird... Just seems crazy to thing there is a whole person in there. I mean how does that even happen?”

“You know exactly how it happened, you were there!” Betsy joked, nudging him with her elbow.

“Hey! Since when did you start making fun of me?” Jane wasn't offended though, just happy, grinning at both Tavish and Betsy.

Jane could feel a disturbance in the room, one that wasn’t Ortiz’s awkwardness. He looked over at Mum, whose head was pointedly turned away to show she was certainly not listening in.

“Mum. Do you want to feel the baby kick?” He looked over at Betsy to double check, “I assume that’s alright?”

“I know what a baby feels like,” Tilly cut in. “I had Tavish, didn’t I?”

“Buuuuut you want to feel this one anyways right?” Tavish pushed with a grin. “C’mon Mum, it’s your grandkid we’re talking about here.”

For a second, it almost looked like Mum wouldn’t respond. But, as Tavish held his breath, she finally sighed, and got up from her chair.

“Aye, that’s the spirit.” He guided her over, and placed her hand on Betsy’s stomach.

“Almost... There it is.” Betsy announced as the baby shifted under Tilly's hand. “It's getting ready for the exit I think, I wonder if it might show up sooner than expected.”

Mum’s face was unreadable. She didn’t pull away, and Jane smiled, happy to watch her from the couch.


	20. Chapter 20

Tavish brought out a tray of tea, setting it down on the coffee table. The particular brew had been a combined mother’s day present from him and Jane, which she accepted with a general hum. She had grown quite attached to it in the past week, enough that Tavish bought it almost exclusively now.

“Here you go, Mum,” he told her as he handed her a cup.

But, as he moved to give Jane the second tea, his leg bumped against the tray and sent the tea set crashing.

“Bloody hell!” Tavish yelped, hot pouring on to his sock. He hopped backwards almost tripping over the armchair to escape.

“That’s two,” Mum said calmly.

“What?” Tavish blustered. After he peeled off his sock, he quickly went for the teapot, making sure it hadn’t chipped in the fall.

“That’s two. Jane cut his thumb with his fancy knife set this mornin’. Bad things happen in threes.” She added solemnly, “it’s Friday the thirteenth, you know.”

“Ach, that’s too many numbers in one sentence,” Tavish complained, and set the undamaged pot back on the tray.

“Let me help,” Jane said, getting up from his seat. He glanced over at Mum as he picked up broken pieces of teacup. “So what is the time limit? Three times a day? A week? If there is no time limit to this superstition then of course it'll happen three times eventually.”

“Don’t you be questioning these sorts of things,” Mum warned. “There’s knowledge far deeper and far older than you or I know.”

“Hey, no, Jane’s right,” Tavish protested, having returned from the kitchen with some towels. “If bad things only happen in threes, then how about when I snapped the cord on my favorite eyepatch earlier this week? That happened on Monday, shouldn’t that be the first thing?”

Mrs. DeGroot frowned harshly at the both of them. “You’ll not get out of this just by running circles with your words.”

Tavish gave an exasperated shrug at Jane. They were headed into the kitchen to throw away the shards when the phone started to ring. Normally, Jane would pounce on the phone, hoping it was Betsy, but he stopped with a start.

“Tavish...” he hissed, “what if this is the third thing?” The phone rang again.

Tavish rolled his eye. “Don’t you start. Honestly, it’s fine Jane, and whoever’s calling right now is just another wrong number. Lord knows we’ve had a wild influx of them in the past week.” It certainly seemed that way, what with the both of them so intuned to the phone, waiting for the signal to head to the hospital.

Jane hesitated again, but paced across the tile floor to the receiver. “Hello?”

Despite his assurances, Tavish suddenly felt a lump in the back of his throat.

It stayed there, until Jane’s rasp of, “Betsy!” wiped away any doubt. He hurried out a, “Oh my god... Of course! We'll be right there ok?” before hanging up the phone and whipping around to face Tavish. “It's happening! Tavish! Oh my god!”

“Oh my god,” Tavish mimicked. He was still holding the tray and all of a sudden he had no idea what to with it or where is hands should be. “Mary mother of mercy.”

Now they were both on the edge of frenzy, frozen with sudden, overwhelming reality. It took Mum coming out of the living room and saying, “by all the shouting I take it she’s ready to pop that sucker out?” to make Tavish spring in to action.

“Car!” he shouted suddenly. “We all need to get in the car. Pick her up, no, wait not Mum. You’re not coming until it’s almost time. But me and Jane have to go now!” He flew to the counter, looking for his keys.

“I'll get the car seat!” Jane turned and tripped over a chair, then stumbled his way up the stairs.

Tavish fumbled, forgetting everything all at once, even though he kept his keys in the exact same spot for the past seven years of his life. He managed to get it together in the living room, while Tilly observed calmly.

“Jane,” he called up the stairs. “Hurry up! If you cannot find it I’ll come back for it later!”

“I'm coming!” Jane yelled, loudly running down the stairs. “I had to get the camera too!” He shook the camera bag above his head, then dropped in into the car-seat slung over his arm. Finally reaching Tavish he shoved his feet in his shoes, and the two of them hurried out to the car.

Tavish drove wildly and prayed there were no waiting cops on this usually abandoned section of highway. The baby could come any minute for Christ’s sake! (Well, he knew it wouldn’t, but it sure felt like it could.) Every now and again he'd ask Jane if he was alright, keeping him from fiddling too much with the camera bag.

They pulled up to Betsy’s house, Jane demanding, “go get her! I’ll clear the back seat.”

Tavish tripped out of the car and ran up to Betsy's front door. She'd left it unlocked for them, so Tavish let himself in and found Betsy on the couch. She was laying back in one of her flowing dresses, fanning herself with a grocery store flier.

“Are you doing alright?” Tavish asked, coming to her side.

“Of course. I told Jane we had time...” Betsy let out a little groan of discomfort, “I really don't want to sit around though... my hospital bag is in the closet, could you?”

Tavish nodded and bounded over to the front closet, finding the little tote-bag and throwing it over his shoulder.

“You don't have to lock the door... my sister is coming over to take care of my cats soon.” Betsy explained as Tavish helped her down the front steps. Holding her up by the arms, Tavish brought her to the car and eased her into the passenger's seat. She wasn’t looking so hot in Tavish’s opinion, which made sense since currently a small human was trying to escape her.

“Hold on tight,” he said, already shifting the car in to gear. “Hospital less than half an hour. I’m going to drive real bloody fast so if we get pulled over I want you to let them know that you’re absolutely in labor.”

Tavish could see Jane out of the corner of his eye rocking forward to check on Betsy every now and again. He felt the nervous energy radiating off him, and he knew he probably looked just as haggard. How the hell did Betsy keep it together after all these years?

“Jane,” he tried to distract. “You want to take a picture of us on the way to the hospital?”

Jane blinked, sensing this was an attempt to distract him from his anxiety, but was happy for it.

“Yeah good idea.” Jane unzipped the camera bag and pulled out the little camera. He leaned into the middle of the seat and said “Smile!”

Betsy and Tavish both looked over their shoulders at him, Tavish also giving a thumbs up. Jane snapped the photo, and Tavish put his eye back on the road. He found his way to the hospital with practiced ease, having memorized the route one day out of paranoid preparedness. It felt like decades since he and Jane had passed out candy at the children’s hospital across the street. Now they were only a stone’s throw away from where they’d met Betsy, in an odd sort of completeness.

They turned off the car and helped Betsy inside.

-

At two in the morning, Tavish wandered into the waiting area, finding Jane fast asleep on one of the chairs. This was really the only place for them to wait out the birth, since “brothers”, as Betsy had introduced them, weren’t the close sort of family that could just hover.Tavish smiled softly, and almost didn’t want to wake the sleeping Soldier, only he knew that Jane would most certainly chew his ear to bits if Tavish let him miss something as important as this. He gently shook the Soldier’s shoulder.

“Hey, wake up sleepyhead. They’re letting us in now.”

Jane let out an unattractive snort as he woke up, rubbing his eyes as he straightened up a bit. “They are? Does that mean…?”

Tavish grinned, communicating everything with a single smile. Although Tavish’s eye mirrored Jane’s own dark circles, there was an electricity behind it. He was touched, and no one could share that feeling besides Jane. He slipped their hands together in the abandoned waiting room.

“By god…” Jane stood up suddenly. “Cone on! Let’s go!” Jane snatched up the camera bag, and followed Tavish quickly back down the hall.

Tavish pushed back the door, holding it open so Jane could get a view of the bed. Betsy was there, looked tattered, exhausted, but relieved. She looked up with a tired smile as they stood in the doorway, and adjusted the little bundle in her arms.

Jane didn’t move, and it took Tavish’s reassuring hand on his back to make him walk forward. It was like he was in a trance, and he stopped suddenly at the foot of the bed as Tavish stood along the side.

“’S a girl,” Betsy said blearily, and the sheer revelation made Tavish drop hard into the bedside table. “You can come hold her if you want.”

Tavish felt like he couldn’t move, and Jane stepped forward as though in a trance, leaning to scoop the baby out of Betsy’s arms. She wasn’t crying, but wasn’t quite asleep yet, still making occasional gurgles and squirming as she was transferred into unfamiliar arms. Jane whipped his head in between her and Tavish, eyes agog.

Slowly, he made his way over, and knelt next to Tavish’s chair.

The first thing he noticed were her eyes, they were a medium-brown, wide and just like his. Despite what he'd read about a newborn's poor vision, it really felt like she was staring right at him. He smiled at her, then sniffled, the first tear rolling down his face as it all began to sink in.

“Tavish... she's so perfect,” Jane murmered.

Tavish nodded. He didn’t trust himself to open his mouth, knowing the lump in his throat would definitely manifest in to tears. Actually, it was a little late for that, since there was definitely stinging in his eyes already. He wrapped an arm around Jane so he could look over his shoulder and see their daughter.

“Hey there love,” Tavish said. “There you are. Violet Jane DeGroot.”

Violet looked up at them both. It was brief, her concentration gone as she began to fuss, but for a moment was a spark between the three of them. The spark then turned in to warmth that made them all huddle in to one another.

“I…” Tavish wiped a tear at his eye. “Dunno what to say.”

“Yeah...” Jane sniffled, touching her palm with his finger. He watched as her tiny fingers instinctively wrapped around it, squeezing him as hard as her tiny hands could manage. “She's strong...”

He tucked his chin on Jane’s shoulder and mumbled in to his neck. “She going to be another little recruit for you to train? Whiskers will like the competition…”

He gently reached around to put a hand on her head. The skin was so soft, its first time being exposed to the rest of the world. He let out a soft sob, the tears coming fast now.

“You big sap,” Jane whispered. Funny, considering he sounded close to tears himself. “I mean I can't... even describe what I'm feeling right now.”

“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say ‘happy’.” Tavish’s chuckle turned in to another sob. “God I just…I love…I love her so much. I love you Jane.” This was more than he could have ever hoped for. “Thank you for all of this.”

“Thank Betsy,” Jane said and glanced over to the bed. Her head was tilted to the left, and she seemed to have fallen asleep. “Well... I guess we can thank her again when she wakes up.”

“Yeah.”

They stood there, and slowly, Violet fell asleep too. Neither of them wanted to move, both from shock and not wanting to wake her up.

It took a long time, but eventually Jane’s legs couldn’t stand any longer. They sat in the stiff hospital chairs, passing Violet back and forth with quiet affection. Both started at her longingly whenever the other one held her, but were patient while waiting their turn.

Being a newborn, Violet wouldn't stay quiet for long. Suddenly she woke up in Jane's arms, and immediately let out a wail. Jane jolted at the sound, and stared at her dumbfounded.

“Right, babies cry.... Shhhh Violet.... Shhhh....” Jane's attempts didn't do much to stop the screaming.

Poor Betsy, having been able to sleep about a half hour, now stirred.

“I'm sorry!” Jane tried to say, voice drowned out by the cries.

Betsy rubbed the sleep from her eyes and then smiled, “Don't worry Jane, though I’d rather the two of you leave if she’s feeling hungy.”

Well, that made a lot of sense. Jane stood up slowly, bringing the baby over to Betsy. He laid her down on Betsy's lap, and although it was painful to leave Violet, turned around to give Betsy her privacy. They sat outside the hospital room and listened to the baby continue to fuss for a few minutes, before eventually quieting down.

“She’s good at yellin’,” Tavish yawned, and rubbed some sleep from his eye. “Gets that from your side.”

“Hey!” Jane scoffed.

A nurse walked past them and into the hospital room.

“Should we call mum?” Jane asked suddenly. “Although, We'll be going home in a few hours anyway, I don't want to wake her.”

“No, let’s let her rest. She’s the only one of us that’s going to be getting any decent sleep anyways, we can make her take over for us once we get home.”

Home. Where Violet would get to stay in her new crib, in the room they had made for her. And then where she’d spend her first weeks alive, safe in the DeGroot manor. It was too far ahead and made Tavish’s head hurt.

When the nurse came back out, she told them it was alright to return.

“How you doin’?” Tavish asked Betsy softly as they sat down bside her.

“Just fine. Tired, but fine.” She gave him one of her characteristic gentle smiles.

Jane settled down again next to Tavish, Violet looking sleepy now that she'd been fed.

“Oh! Pictures!” Jane remembered.

The camera bag had been tossed haphazardly on the table, so Jane retrieved it, getting out the camera and crouching down in front of Tavish. He snapped a picture, then another. Then he sat back down on the couch and took a closer picture of Violet herself, in all her sleeping glory.

“Hey Jane?” Betsy called from the bed, “You want pictures right? If you give me the camera I can take a picture of the three of you together.”

“Yeah? You sure it's not a problem?”

“As long as you stand in front of the bed,” she nodded. “I can't really get up comfortably yet.”

They did as she asked, shuffling awkwardly to the foot of her bed. Tavish wasn’t used to posing for family photos; even after Jane had taken it up as a hobby, it was mostly candid shots. The strange formalness compounded the excitement deep in his gut, making his smile shaky.

Tavish shifted Violet so that Jane could tuck his arm under her as well, and he felt a hand come behind his back to rest on his shoulder.

“How do we look?”

Betsy grinned, “Tired, but that's to be expected.”

She raised the camera and peered through the sight. Jane squeezed as close to Tavish as possible, peeking at Violet before looking back at Betsy.

“Ok, smile!”

Jane and Tavish smiled at the camera, and there was a click as Betsy took the picture. As soon as the polaroid started printing Jane rushed over to take a look.

“Thanks Betsy.” He examined it closely, his eyes softening as they hit it. “It's nice to get a photo with all of us. I don't do it often.”

“I figured as much. It's the least I could do.” She responded.

“Yeah,” Jane laughed, “The most you could do is... well, have a baby for us.”

“Oh, but that wasn’t that hard,” Tavish joked. “Look at her, she looks like she could run a marathon!”

They settled back down, and Tavish convinced Jane to hand over the camera so they could get a few shots of him and Violet. Even as Tavish clicked a few more photos, he felt his eyelid drooping, and watched Jane suppress a yawn.

“Ach. I want to…stay awake for her but…” he yawned again.

“Well if you can fall asleep on the bench I suggest you sleep while you still can,” Betsy suggested. “Violet will be fine in the bassinet.”

Jane walked over to the little plastic crib, looking way too sterile for a baby, but secure enough. He lowered her down carefully, much more gentle than necessary, inch by inch until she rested on the white sheets. Tavish watched Jane watch the baby. It wasn’t like seeing her up close with every detail of her tiny features amplified, but it was quite the picture nonetheless. Calming is what it was. Peaceful as he watched Betsy begin do drift off too.

Eventually Jane sighed, slowly pulling away from her and coming to sit next to Tavish. He hunkered down on the bench, leaning against Tavish's side.

“So... May 14th huh?” He murmured.

“Oh yeah, I suppose you’re right.” Tavish cast a tired glance outside, where dawn would be coming in another few hours. “’S a good thing then. What baby wants to be born on Friday the thirteenth?”

Now that their arms were free of baby, he was happy to slip one over Jane’s shoulders.

“True, I guess Mom's third bad thing never happened. Unless she stubbed her toe on the way to bed.” Jane chuckled lightly, leaning his head against Tavish.

-

They woke, unsurprisingly, to crying. Jane and Tavish shook themselves awake, Betsy already on the case and feeding Violet by the time the Doctor came in and gave them the O.K. to leave the hospital.

When Betsy was done feeding, Tavish got up and stretched. After the brief nap, he almost felt like he wasn’t dying anymore. Making his way over to the bed, he asked, “almost ready to head home?”

A

“Mmhm,” Betsy agreed, handing the baby over to Tavish. “I suggest one of you get the car-seat set up ahead of time, I hear those things can be tricky the first time.”

“Don't worry!” Jane bellowed, getting up from the bench, “I heard that too, and I've practiced ahead of time.”

It felt odd to say the least once Jane left. Tavish accepted Violet as Betsy handed her over, and let her grab curiously at his fingers.

“This must be normal for you by now at this point, but I have to say I’m real bloody nervous,” he told Betsy while looking away. “This is the next big step.”

“All parents are like that, especially the first time. It's ok to worry, just stop worrying about your worrying.” She tried to scoot her way to the edge of the bed, but grimaced. “Now, If you don't mind closing the curtain, I'm going to get changed.”

“Yes ma’am,” he smiled.

He tried to take Betsy’s advice as he passed her the bag with her clothes. Things would go as they do, and he’d prepared his ass off for this. By the time they had gotten all their things and checked out, Tavish had managed to slow his heartbeat to almost normal.

Betsy's doctor appeared in the doorway, strolling in just as Betsy parted the curtains after changing.“I see you two are ready to leave,”

“Definitely,” Betsy replied, looking over the doctor's shoulder as Jane appeared behind him.

“Car seat is all ready,” He panted, apparently having run all the way back.

Checking out wasn’t a fast process considering Tavish was both dreading and longing for home. It would be weird without Betsy, their safety net, but she had her own life to get back to. Besides, that was part of the deal, that she would be separate from the new baby while Tavish and Jane adjusted.

They walked out of the hospital slowly, Tavish holding the baby and Jane still wanting to help Betsy along out of habit. “Nice job on the seat,” Tavish told him warmly.

Jane nodded, leaving Tavish to strap in Violet while he helped Betsy into the car. Once she was inside Jane returned, hovering over Tavish's shoulder as he secured all the straps.

“You have to make sure it's secure...” He muttered, half in and half out of the car as he leaned over Tavish. “Not too tight though, careful!”

“I will,” Tavish said. He’d suppressed the urge to snap, they were both tired from their long night and Jane just wanted to be extra safe.

Violet didn’t make much noise as she was strapped in. Was that good or bad? Babies were supposed to scream a certain amount right? Tavish couldn’t remember all the books, and settled on being thankful for now.

They drove home in sleepy silence, until Tavish realized with a jolt, “Ach! We forgot to give Mum a call when we woke up.”

Jane shrugged, “It'll be fine, she can't get mad if we give her Violet. No one can get mad holding a baby....”

They neared Betsy's house, and Violet was still surprisingly quiet. Jane kept staring at her in seat next to him, just making sure she was still breathing.

“You sure you don't want us to wait with you?” Jane asked, as they pulled in.

“No I'll be fine, besides, my sister doesn't actually know about our situation.” She gave them a knowing look.

“Aye, gotcha.” Jane gave an ‘ok’ gesture with his fingers.

They pulled up to the house and regretfully watched her go. It would be so weird to spend time without her after they’d all gotten so close. Tavish tried to put in a much genuine compassion as he could when they waved goodbye. “See you in a few months Betsy!”

Even with the passenger's seat now empty, Jane still decided to stay in the back with Violet.

“So... Just us now huh?” Jane said, so quietly Tavish almost didn’t hear him.

“Just us.” Tavish hadn’t started to pull out of the driveway yet, so he reached a hand back stopped us before.”

Alexi 5/16/2017 7:54:08 PM

“Well... we also have your mother when shit hits the fan...” Jane's eyes widened, “Oh! Language!” He looked over at Violet with wide eyes, although she didn't seem particularly offended by his choice of words.

“Ach, don’t tell me I’m going to have to stop swearing!” Tavish said with mock distress. “That’s a good third of my vocabulary!”

They began the drive home, giddy still. Tavish loved checking the rearview mirror every now and then to see Jane cooing at their daughter. Pulling up to the mansion, Tavish let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding.

“Well,” Tavish let out. “it’s time to see your new home, Vi.”

“Nicknames already? She's only been alive a few hours you know,” Jane grumbled, getting out of the car.

Tavish worked on unstrapping Violet while Jane picked up the camera bag from the trunk. He ran ahead, unlocking the door and holding it open for Tavish.

Tavish took a moment to stand in front of the house, holding the baby up so she could see. “And here’s the grand tour! This is your nice house you lucky little bugger, so get used to it.” He paused, then realized something. “Oh, we never even introduced ourselves. I’m Tavish, your Da. That over there’s Jane. He’s your ‘Dad’ because that’s what they call Das’ over here.”

Violet made a whining noise, then pushed her hands out toward Jane.

“Picking favorites already?” Tavish asked with a smirk directed at Jane.

“She... She shouldn't even be able to see that far away yet,” Jane grunted. “Just get inside already.”

The three of them entered the house, kicking off their shoes sloppily. The house was familiar, yet had a different air about it. The crackle of the radio was present, and yet Tavish didn’t see Mum anyway.

“Mum! Hellooooo?” he called, and Violet made a displeasured sound. “Ach sorry,” he said quieter.

Tavish held his breath as Tilly’s footsteps slowly came down the stairs. She appeared in view of the both of them, arms crossed.

“Did you bring home the milk like I asked?”

“Wha-” Tavish sputtered. “The milk? You didn’t ask for milk…” He shook his head. “ Mum. We’ve got the baby. “

“A baby? I don’t think so. If you had a baby you certainly would’ve called me.”

“Things.... happened quickly,” Jane said. “No go sit in your chair, don't you want to meet your granddaughter?”

A curious expression crossed Mum’s face and, strangely, she didn’t fight Jane. She let him lead her over to the couch, where Tavish sat next to her. Slowly, he edged Violet in to Mum’s arms, inch by inch until she was nestled snugly in.

“Her name’s Violet. Seven pounds twelve ounces,” Tavish told her gently.

“A little one then,” Mum muttered, though she could certainly tell by the feel. She gently moved her hand over Violet’s face, in her hair, and against her nose. She only stopped when Violet grabbed a hold of her. “She’s healthy?” she asked softly.

Jane put the camera down on the table and sat on Tilly's other side. “Yup, perfectly healthy. She can squeeze your finger really tight, and she can scream like... like something really loud.”

She nodded, but didn’t ask more. Tavish and Jane watched her as she continued to ‘look’ over her granddaughter. Mrs. DeGroot was always hard to read, but even Tavish found he couldn’t tell what his mother was thinking.

When she seemed to still, Tavish slipped an arm around her shoulders. “What do you think?”

At first it seemed she wouldn’t answer, her face something somber. Finally, she said quietly, “you’ve got a good thing here.”

“Of course she's a good thing,” Jane frowned. “She's... the best thing we've ever had.” He gave a soft smile, reaching over to boop her little nose.

Tavish couldn’t help but chuckle. “Aye. I’d like to see anyone else do any better!” He threw his challenge to the room.

“Well, I certainly cannot say I’m a contender for that competition,” Mum said.

“Hey!”

Jane laughed, wiping away the tears that were now welling up in his eyes. “We need a picture of you together,” He said, getting back off the couch and grabbing the camera. “Ok, Pretend you love each other.”

“That’s going to take some pretty good acting on my part,” Tavish said, and earned himself an elbow to the ribs for his troubles.

They held still, Violet between them, while the flash lit up the gloomy room. The sudden brightness made Tavish sneeze, and the sneeze made him yawn. “Lord. Jane and I might need some sleep, we’ve had a long night.”

“Pah! You weren’t the ones pushing a seven pound human out of your-”

“And I think that’s our cue!” Tavish interrupted.

And as if to punctuate, Violet began to wail.

Jane quickly re-packed up the camera and came to hover over Violet. “Maybe we should feed her first...” Jane pondered, needing to raise his voice over the screaming, “Where did we put the formula again?”

“Still in the kitchen!” Tavish shouted back. “And she probably needs a change!”

Tavish set on the second task while Jane looked for the food. After all, how hard could the changing be? The books made it look so easy!

Tavish came out of the nursery twenty minutes later five times more exhausted than when he left.

“Here. Your turn,” he said as he passed the baby off to Jane who balanced her and the warm bottle.

“Shhh... Shhh... I have food for you,” Jane said, trying to soothe Violet. He held her firmly in one arm and tilted the bottle towards her with the other.

He touched her lips with the bottle, but she just turned away, letting out another wail.

“Oh god how do we do this?” Jane bemoaned.

“You just do,” Mum informed him.

Tavish grunted at her unhelpfulness. “Here, why don’t you let me try?” he asked Jane.

“Here,” Jane sighed in frustation, gently passing the baby and then the bottle back over to Tavish.

“Here you go baby,” Tavish told Violet, gently raising her head to the bottle. Just like before, she whined, and turned away. “Aw come on, I know you’re hungry.”

He sat down on the couch, finding a comfortable position. And, after a couple more tries, he got Violet to take the bottle. Once she began to drink, she seemed content to just sit there and happily suck away.

“Phew,” Tavish huffed in relief. “Hey, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Maybe for you,” Jane said, crossing his arms.

He didn't stay sulking for long though, still unable to resist the charms of their new baby. Jane sat next to Tavish, laying his head on his shoulder to watch Violet as the slowly drained the bottle. However, as soon as it was done, she began to cry again. It was sporadic, and Tavish found he could stop her every few seconds by gently rocking her back and forth, but squeals never went away completely.

“This is going to be a loooong week off,” Tavish said with a sigh.

Jane flashed a grin. “But it's worth it.” He turned back to Violet, trying to coo at her and stop her crying.

Suddenly, the extra attention just seemed to make Violet worse. She cried harder, and wiggled so hard it seemed like she was trying to escape from Tavish’s arms.

“I think I’ve about reached me limit on baby time,” Mum announced, and made her way upstairs.

Jane sighed, “You want to head up to the nursery? Then we can put her to bed when she calms down... If she calms down... I need a nap.” Jane yawned, stretching his arms up over his head.

“All three of us do,” Tavish agreed.

They sat in the nursery, trading Violet off between them, seeing if they could get her to calm down. Eventually to bottle kicked in, and she began to quiet, Tavish finally managed to rock her to sleep.

He laid the baby in her crib, and looked around the neat little nursery. The landscape Jane had bought them was there, its wet grasses giving the room a comforting feel. Jane himself looked about ready to pass out, but leaned over, getting one last look at the sleeping baby.

Tavish paused too. It was a strangely soft moment, and it was funny to think of how much of the real Jane could be seen in the way he smiled at their daughter. Only so many years ago, he had been gruff, probably insane Soldier, and Tavish would never have thought any more of him than an enemy. It was how most people saw him, and Jane’d seemed fine with that. That was the first thing Tavish had noticed when they’d first become friends: how plainly genuine he could be. Sure he’d try to hide his feelings sometimes, but he was notoriously bad at it, and that dopey sweetness would always find a way to shine through.

Jane tore himself away from the crib, meeting Tavish at the door and sliding an arm around his waist. Tiredly, they crossed the hallway to their room,

let their tired bodies take some well deserved rest.

-


	21. Chapter 21

That rest only lasted about three hours. It might have been comical if Jane didn’t feel like he wanted to die.

“I have a feeling that’s going to happen a lot,” Tavish muttered as he got back in to bed, sure that Jane was still awake.

“Yeah,” Jane murmured, rolling over to face Tavish. “I'll go next, It's only fair.” He yawned, stretching out to pull Tavish closer.

“Won’t argue with that…” Tavish allowed Jane to pull him in, then pressed their noses together with a sigh.

It was sometime after noon that she started crying again, and now it was probably time for them to get out of bed anyway. Jane slipped out, leaving Tavish to bury his head under a pillow, and went into Violet's room. She needed changing, which was taken care of easily enough, and he then carried her down to the kitchen to be fed.

He ended up with her in one arm and a bottle in the other once again, trying to coax her into eating.

“Come on Violet, you eat for Tavish, why not for me?” The baby just continued screaming and squirming, and Jane could not figure out what was wrong. He had read all the books, she knew how to use the bottle, why wasn't it working?

“Everything going okay?” Tavish asked as he came downstairs a half hour later, Jane still trying to get Violet to eat.

Jane huffed. “She still will not eat for me.”

“Errr…” Tavish rubbed his eye. “I dunno. Try tilting her head up a bit more?”

Jane tried, angling her a bit more upwards and bringing the bottle to her lips once again. Nothing changed. “I don't know... Maybe she just doesn't like me.”

“Aw don’t say that, she just let met you after all. Maybe she just wants a change of face.” He gently took both the baby and the bottle from Jane’s arms.

Miraculously, Violet did take to the bottle after a few tries. Once she had latched on she didn’t stop, sucking away contently.

“Huh,” Tavish mused. “Didn’t think that’d work.”

Jane hunched over and rubbed his face with his hands. He wanted to be the one to do it, but the peace and quiet was much needed regardless.

“Oh. Good.” Jane tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

“Hey,” Tavish came up beside him so he could put the baby between them. “Don’t fret. Once we get the ball rolling on this, she’s not going to care who’s holding the bottle as long as she’s getting lots of love.”

Jane just sighed and stared at their little girl. “Well I hope she gets used to me sooner rather than later, otherwise she'll go hungry when you're back at work.”

“You hear that Vi? Better start being nicer to your Dad,” Tavish told the baby in a stern voice.

Violet ignored both of them, and continued to eat.

“I think she gets the picture,” Tavish grinned.

Jane laughed, most of his stress draining in the moment. “You ok with watching her while I go take a shower? I have a feeling I'll be skipping my workouts for the next while...” He stretched, popping his back in the process.

\-------------

An hour later, Violet was back to crying.

“Alright,” Tavish groaned. “Give the little lassie to me. Maybe we could go outside? She could be too cold in here…”

They ended up by Tilly's garden, where a bench had been strategically placed in the shade of the house. Jane leaned down and plucked the flower off of a weed growing up against the house, then sat on the bench and dangled the plant above Violet, trying to draw her attention. Her crying slowed, and still squishfaced, focused on the flower in front of her.

“It’s an improvement,” Tavish said, and watched Violet’s eyes get bigger. Tavish moved in closer, the three of them calming in the sound of birds outside. Eventually, the baby made a grab at Jane’s hand.

Jane smiled gently down at her. It was the first truly positive interaction they'd had since just after she was born, most of it being her crying while Jane desperately tried to calm her down. This was most certainly a success!

“Y’know,” Tavish grabbed Jane’s attention, “we should plant some violets out here. In honor of the new addition. D’you think Mum would go for it?”

“Maybe.” Jane looked over at the garden, densely planted with Tilly's various herbs.

“We could always dig Violet her own garden. It's not like there is a lack of space. Then she can pick out her own plants when she's older. I'm sure your mum would love to teach her.”

“Aye,” Tavish nodded. “She’d probably be even happier if spun it so that it’s a ‘family trade’ sort of thing. I mean it _is_ technically, once she passes it down a generation.”

Tavish scratched his chin.

“On that line of thought, we need to baby proof at some point. She’ll be crawling in only a few months…”

“Argh... but... we just got her! She can't grow up that fast!” Jane looked down at Violet again, silently begging her to stay small forever.

Tavish chuckled, and wrapped an arm around Jane’s shoulders. “Alright, I’ll stop planning so far ahead. As much as I don’t like the constant crying, I know I’ll miss these days as soon as they’ve gone by. At some point, we’re going to look back at today and think: ‘we sure a couple of naive mates, not knowing a thing of what it’s like to be dads.’ And then we’ll laugh into our beards and drink some prune juice.”

“Disgusting,” Jane said, grimacing just at the thought of prune juice. “You'll catch me dead before I drink that garbage. I'll probably just join you in your alcoholism once I'm too old to fight Nazis anymore.”

“Pshhh, you’re already too old,” Tavish teased. “When’s the last time you actually fought a Nazi? And don’t tell ‘RED was full of Nazis!’ ‘cause I’ll smack you.”

“Look, I can't say they were all Nazis, but I can say you were the exception to the general evilness of the RED team.”Jane would have looked a lot more stern of not for the fact he was unable to move due to their daughter holding his finger.

“Bull! Unless by that you just mean generally annoying and no sense of personal hygine.” Tavish snorted. “If you want to talk evil, you don’t have to look further than your own Sniper. That man took way too much pleasure in jarate-ing people. Was unnerving.”

“What? Like YOUR Sniper never did?” Jane scoffed, “Sorry, but RED Team was terrible, maybe you were meant to be on BLU. Our Demoman was a bit of an ass anyway, always beat me at cards.”

“Belong on BLU? You’ve never given me a lower insult, man!” Tavish only slightly raised his voice, in light of their very small company. “BLU was a bunch of whimpering losers. I’m surprised you could tolerate it, you’re made of much sterner stuff than that. In fact, I think _you_ were meant to be on RED.”

“Blasphemy!” Jane declared. “If fighting your team's Soldier was any indication, you were all a bunch of spineless hippies. I'm surprised the man didn't have flowers in his hair!”

“Oh really?” Tavish smirked. He let go of Jane to pick another one of the flowers out of the weeds, and tucked it behind Jane’s ear before he could protest. “Well at this very moment someone’s got flowers in his hair and is holding a wee one. If hippies belong on RED, looks like you’d fit right in.”

“I'm a father, not a hippy!” He looked at the flower just barely in his vision. “If I wasn't holding OUR baby right now I'd punch you.” Jane's scowl was well complimented by the flower.

Tavish could barely stifle his laughter at Jane’s predicament. Trying to sneak another flower behind Jane’s other ear failed, since the Soldier was ready for him this time.

Tavish grinned. “Ach if only I had the camera. You two are the picture of familial adorableness.”

“…No evidence of this will exist.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jane noticed Violet's attention had moved away from his finger, and her gaze was now fixated somewhere to the left of him. It didn't take long for him to realize it was the flower, tucked behind his ear and bobbing slightly in the breeze. Jane tilted his head down, and after a few tried she had her fingers grasping the petals of the flower.

“Oo!” She said, and Jane pulled back, Violet's grip pulling the flower from behind his ear.

“You see that?” Jane said with a grin. “She's on my side!”

“She just wants it for herself,” Tavish rebuffed.

Violet illustrated his point by trying to put it in her mouth again. Tavish reached over and gently pulled it away, tucking the fresh one behind her ear. Kissing the baby on her forehead, Tavish smiled at Jane.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ll be many equally compromising opportunities to come.” He followed that up by kissing Jane on the forehead as well.

“Why don't you hold her for a bit?” Jane suggested. “Build up your arm strength.” Maybe that was just Jane making up an excuse in order to avoid the fact his own arms were getting tired, but if it was he'd never say so.

“Alright alright, gimme here.” Tavish took their daughter, cooing at her all the while. It wasn’t very helpful, she was already pretty calm, but it did get her attention.

They sat for a long time on the bench, until the spring heat started to get to him. It wasn’t too bad, and Jane figured he could used to this. He leaned on Tavish again and sighed, still, very tired, but that probably wouldn't be changing anytime soon.

\----------

The next few days were like that, a patchy sleep schedule, Jane failing to calm Violet down and having to wake Tavish up even when it wasn't his turn.

“Come on Violet, calm down for me? Do you want to bother Tavish?” It was another late night, and Jane had picked up the crying Violet to try to soothe her back to sleep.

He sighed, giving up on gently bouncing her and sitting in the rocking chair instead. It was a bit more comfortable, which he was going to need if he was going to be up with a crying baby all night.

“So if Tavish can't be here, can I talk about him? Will that make you happy?” Violet just cried. “Well, I don't know if you know this, but me and your dad... Well I guess he wants you to call him Da... We've been together a long time.”

Jane began to rock back and forth, cradling Violet against his chest.

“We met at a weapon's expo, we hated each-other then... It was part of our jobs.” Jane droned on, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He talked about their meeting, fighting the cops, leaving out the mentions of copious drinking and bloody violence. He talked about being on BLU, about Tavish being on RED, about meeting up outside of battle and going on vacations together.

Jane talked so in depth, an so long, that he didn't notice Violet beginning to quiet. Her crying became soft hiccups, then her hiccups slowed down until she was breathing silently. In fact, she fell asleep in his arms.

-

Despite the fact that the baby had stopped crying, Tavish found himself jerking awake anyway. Their poor sleeping habits had done a number on him, and he often found himself waking at inconvenient moments.

He blinked, realizing that Jane wasn’t next to him on the bed. That wasn’t too strange since he often went to take care of Violet, but since Tavish didn’t hear a peep coming from the nursery, he got up investigate. He probably wouldn’t fall back asleep anyways.

What he saw stopped him in the doorway. Jane was out cold, head tossed over the back of the rocking chair, open mouth allowing mild snores. Violet, amazingly, was similarly asleep. Jane supported her head gently, the tiny baby tucking her face against his stomach. Her fists were balled tightly but, miraculously, Jane had finally managed to calm her down. Tavish marveled, knowing how often Jane got frustrated she wouldn’t stop crying for him.

The scene was so wholesome it took Tavish’s breath away. They looked so natural, matching looks of peacefulness on the faces of his two favorite people. There could never be any doubt that this is where all of them were meant to be.

Despite tiredness still pulling at him, he elected to stay in the doorway and watch them. At least for a while.

Although he was trying to be quiet while standing in the doorway, Tavish shifted on his feet, causing a squeak in one of the old floorboards. Jane's eyes blinked open, having been in such a light sleep.

He looked down at Violet, surprised to wake up in the nursery holding her. He couldn't even remember what he'd been doing. It was then he spotted Tavish in the doorway.

“Oh, sorry. Did we wake you?” Jane asked softly as to not wake their daughter.

“No,” Tavish said guilty, sorry he’d broken the spell. “Actually looks like I woke you.” He smiled warmly so it crinkled the corner of his eye. “You finally got her to fall asleep for you.”

“Oh... yeah.” Jane said, dumbfounded. He looked back down at Violet with an air of disbelief. “I guess I did.”

Tavish walked over, and kissed Jane fondly on the head. “Only a matter of time before you’re the best baby whisperer this side of the Atlantic. Soon enough I’m going to have to wake you up when I’m in over my head.”

“Hm,” Jane said with a shake of his head. “Maybe. All I did was talk.”

“Maybe that’s it, innit? She likes the sound of your voice.” Tavish stood behind Jane, so he could look down at the baby. “I know I do. S’ got that tough, gravely-ness to it.”

“What's that supposed to mean? I’m not yelling at her!”

“Not, ‘s comfortin’,” Tavish pointed out. “If you’re a wee one and you got a couple of tough-as-nails Das who looking out for you, you know you never got to worry ‘bout anything. Monster under your bed? Dad’ll come in here and scare it right off!”

“Mmhm...” Jane just made a low noise before responding. “I like your voice too. I mean, your Scottish slang is weird, and you say things wrong, but... it sounds nice at least.”

Tavish rolled his eye as Jane went to put Violet back in the crib. “Well thank you so much Jane. I think I’m going just die of embarrassment from all your flattery.” All the same, he put an arm around Jane’s waist so they could look down at Violet together.

“We should get back to bed,” Jane noted. “Sleeping in chairs isn't healthy.”

“Aye. But lets go fast before she wakes up.”

-

The day Tavish had to return to work was fast approaching. Tilly was scarcely around, something about “learning by doing” being the only learning. Still, even with Jane and Tavish trying their hardest to find a balance, the first time parents couldn’t always handle it.

Mum came home to find both of them passed out in the middle of the living room, half finished lunch on the coffee table. Jane’s distinctive snoring came from the couch, but Tavish hadn’t even made it that far. Mum knocked her cane against him to find he was laying on the floor, bottled tucked comfortably in his arm like he was still trying to hold the baby.

Shaking her head, Mrs. DeGroot left them. Violet it was awake when she walked in, the baby making soft gurgling sounds. If Mum didn’t know any better, she’d think she was acknowledging her presence.

“Alright you wean, c’mere.” Violet wiggled as Mum lifted her, shifting as her head was supported. Mum sat in the rocking chair, much like Jane had several nights ago. “I won’t be around much for now,” she told the baby as they rocked. “Just because I’m your grandmum doesn’t mean you’re going to get any special treatment. I didn’t give any to Tav, that’s for sure! No, you’re going to grow up tough, you here me?”

Violet replied with a soft “ah!”

“That’s right.”

-

Jane and Tavish woke up sometime that evening, immediately panicked.

“How long did we sleep? Where's Violet?” Jane asked, worried that she wasn't crying after being left so long.

“She’s er…” Tavish struggled to remember, not Jane’s level anxiety but fast approaching it. “She er…she wasn’t with us while we were making lunch. We fed her fist, and then we ate…” Jane ran to the kitchen before he could finish his sentence, and Tavish pushed himself off the floor. “No…we put her to bed before we ate. Jane!”

He motioned for Jane to follow him upstairs, after the Soldier found nothing. When they did calm down enough to check the nursery, they breathed a sigh of relief to find Mum gently rocking the baby.

“Ah,” Tavish breathed out. “No wonder she wasn’t crying.”

“When did you get home?” Jane said, sounding a bit angry due to the panic he was still coming down from.

“You going to talk to me like that Jane? Under my own roof?” Mum bit back, though considerably softer than normal.

“Not, I’m with Jane on this one,” Tavish put in. “Since when did you decide you wanted to help with baby things?”

“Since you two were too plum-tuckered to even make it to bed,” she said simply. “It’s obvious you’re in over your heads.”

“We would have woken up if she cried,” Jane argued. “It's not like we abandoned her!” “Aye, you make it sound like we just ditched her on the livingroom floor next to us!” Tavish folded his arms. “She was up here, safe and sound.”

“Then maybe it’s not the baby who you two aren’t taking good care o’,” Mum said, hardly paying them mind. “Maybe it’s yourselves.”

Tavish and Jane exchanged a sheepish look.

Mum sighed. “What I mean to say is: I know when it’s time to step in. You two are learning the ropes, but me helping out every now and again won’t slow you down any.”

“So you’re alerting us to your new policy of actually helping us when we ask for it?” Tavish raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t push your luck, Tavish Finnegan.”

“Well... Thanks,” Jane deflated. “We are capable of handling her but, a little extra help would be appreciated.”

“Mmmhhh,” he agreed, and kissed his mother on the side of the head. “What he said.”

He walked over and peered down at Violet, who seemed to be happily dozing in Mum’s arms. She ran a wrinkled hand over Violet’s forehead, a sharp contrast against the baby’s smooth skin. Tavish steeped over to join them. The three of them ended up huddled around Violet, all cramped in the corner of the nursery.

-

Though Tilly had offered to help out from time to time, she was very clear that the late-night feeding and changing was up to the two of them.

There was so much late-night waking that Jane found he was incapable of sleeping more than a few hours straight at a time. One night he woke up some time after three AM; there was no crying, Violet was still asleep, but Jane was suddenly wide awake.

He ended up going downstairs for a glass of water, downing it while out the window. They were lucky to live so far from the city, you could see the stars just like at the RED and BLU bases.

He still wasn't quite ready to head back to bed, so he decided to check on Violet. Her door was open, done so that they would definitely hear her if she cried. Jane stepped gently inside, thankful for the carpet muffling his footsteps.

He hadn't expected any surprised, but there was one waiting for him inside the crib.

“Whiskers?!” his hissed, careful not to say it too loudly.

The cat was in the crib, pressed up against Violet's side with his tail curled around her. He looked perturbed by Jane's sudden outburst, and showed off his teeth with a big yawn.

“Well well well, come around have you?” Jane whispered, crouching down to give the Sarge a quick scritch behind the ears. For as long as the baby had been here, Whiskers had stared on the opposite end of the mansion, acting as though her presence was a deep betrayal.

When he determined that Violet wasn’t in any harm, Jane finally headed back to bed, climbing under the covers and snuggling up to Tavish.

Tavish turned so he could face Jane, putting their heads together on the pillow. “Hey. You checking on her?”

“I was. I found Whiskers in Violet's crib.” Jane said, unable to hold back a grin.

The Hinkliest of All Dinkles 6/20/2017 6:53:29 PM

“UM.” Tavish was awake instantly. “A who? Not a what?” The only thing that was keeping Tavish from freaking out was that Jane seemed to find whatever it was very funny.

Tavish snorted.“Huh. So that stubborn little cat does have a soft spot. I wonder what changed his mind?”

“Hmm, I don't know,” Jane pondered, rolling over to lay on his back. “Maybe he just realized she's not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“True. I mean that’s how Mum accepted him.” Despite her mean names for Sarge, Mrs. DeGroot had learned to like him. “I’m just glad he’s not secretly planning on eating her.”

“Don't be crazy! He wouldn't do that!” Jane scoffed, offended by the very notion.

“You sure?” Tavish grinned. “Cats’ll eat people, I read that once. For all we know, he’s planning on making all of us minced pie this very second!” Tavish rolled over and pretended to bite Jane’s shoulder.

Jane shoved him off with a smack.

\-----------

A the evening Tavish returned to work, the smell of food drifted into the living room, waking Jane from his slumber. He lifted the still sleeping Violet and carried her towards the kitchen.

“Tavish?” he asked, rubbing his eyes, “You home?”

“No, you’re hallucinating,” Tavish said as he stirred a pot of ravioli. “I’m the ghost of Tavish, killed in a terrible sewage incident, here to haut you for the rest of my days. OOOOoooOOOooooo.”

Jane rolled his eyes. “What time is it?” He was still a bit out of it from his nap, stumbling slightly as he walked into the kitchen.

“Hmmm, ‘bout six in the evein’? Dunno, been making dinner for a while. Speaking of which…”

Tavish got out a few bowls, and poured the sauce in to the noodles. He put a bowl in Jane’s usual seat

“Oh. Thanks,” Jane said with a smile. “She was really good all day. I read that the sound of a vacuum is really relaxing for babies, and it put her right to sleep.”

“So like, anti-Sarge, who just wants to commit murder every time you turn that thing on,” Tavish laughed. “I’m glad you had a good day. No accidents or nothing? I was thinking of calling, but I knew you’d contact me if there was any serious trouble.”

“We were fine,” Jane insisted. He starting to eat, carefully balancing. “I am more than capable of doing this, I will not fail at parenting,” “I’m not saying you’re not I…Aw nothing. I shouldn’t’ve worried.”

Violet woke up and started crying partway through dinner, but the formula was ready and she was quickly sated. Despite Jane's usual insistence on being the one to feed her, after his exhausting day he was more than happy to let Tavish take care of it. At some point Tilly came home, marching into the kitchen and helping herself to the pasta. Soon the four of them were back together sitting around the table.

“Jane did well today,” Tavish proudly informed his mother. “It was his first day alone,”

“Mm,” Tilly said. “Well it won’t be his last. You’re going to die first at this rate, and after that it’s going to be a lonely road for ‘im.”

“Mum!” Tavish blustered. “I meant it was his first day taking care of the baby alone. Because I’m back at work now?”

Mum shrugged. She turned her head toward Jane and said unenthusiastically, “good job, Jane.”

“Thanks,” He replied just as blandly. “Violet was very well behaved today.”

“Of course she was. DeGroot children don’t have the devil in ‘em like most bairns,” she agreed.

Tavish laughed and almost choked on his food. “Well that’s a bold-faced lie if I ever heard one. I raised hell throughout me whole childhood, and never stopped.”

“That’s because you went to that orphanage, and lord knows you absorbed in there.” Tilly waved her fork at Tavish. “But while your Da and I still had our eyes on you, you were the sweetest little thing.”

“That so?” Jane said, picking up the dishes. “I find it hard to believe Tavish was ever anything but a pain in the ass.”

Tavish covered up a laugh with a cough.

“He hardly ever cried,” Tilly continued. “Rabbie always told me it’s because DeGroot kids are keeping it all inside, waiting to let it all come out in one true rage. Good for being a demoman, knowing when to hold it in.”

“Sounds like you're talking about gas,” Jane said, barely containing his snickering, “Violet doesn't seem to have inherited the 'keeping it in' trait.”

“She is one hell of an air-beiger,” Tavish nodded. “Wish it went the other way too. It’s impossible to get her to burp after a meal, and then she cries over it.”

“You two know how ruin some perfectly solid advice,” Tilly said, annoyed.

“Ach!” Tavish interjected. “Don’t even get me started on her ‘solids’!”

“I wish they were solids,” Jane muttered.

“Oh no,” Tavish said mournfully. “It hasn’t started getting all watery again has it?”

“I hate break up this important conversation you mates are havin’,” Tilly said tersely, “but I happen to be eating at the moment. ”

Jane just laughed, watching the subject of their conversation drink from her bottle.

-

The following days passed in a similar fashion, and soon they had developed a new routine. Jane finally got back to his morning workouts, refusing to let fatherhood turn him soft like Tavish. Tilly was more accommodating with her time now, making sure to stay home to watch Violet in the mornings when Jane was busy.

He'd also started phoning Betsy on a daily basis. He wanted to check how her recovery was going, and she'd explained how bored she was stuck in bed all day, so Jane usually spend about a half hour or so a day telling Betsy about all the wonderful things Violet did, the conversation usually ended by said baby needing her diaper changed.

When Violet was a bit over a month old, Betsy said she was feeling well enough again to visit, and Jane jumped on the opportunity to invite her. She was coming over on a Saturday, so they could spend the whole day together while Tavish was home.

“Hey Tavish... What should I dress her in? This is her first public appearance so it should be something nice....” Jane called from the nursery, the two of them getting ready for Betsy's visit. “I found polka dots.... and different polka dots. Dots match right?” Jane held up two clashing pieces of baby clothing as Tavish walked in the room.

“Dots match Jane. But they have to be the same color dots.” Tavish informed him. “And It’s not really a public appearance. It’s just Betsy. Family ‘n all that.”

“Well, I guess,” Jane said as he rifled through the drawers, “But it's nice to have some sort of excuse to make sure she looks nice instead of just throwing her in a clean onesie every time she pukes on herself.”

After the first few days of parenthood, both of them had gotten a bit lazy in terms of dressing her in anything but pajamas. Violet had gone up a diaper size in the past month, so some of her original clothes hadn’t been worn at all with their tendency to skip the nice ones. Jane had found a blue polka dot skirt for her, to match the shirt.

“She looks adorable,” Tavish agreed. “How do you feel Vi? Ready enough to meet your auntie again?”

Violet wiggled as Jane put the last buttons on.

“I think she's excited,” Jane said, lifting the squirming baby into his arms. “Or, energetic at least. She really likes to move...”

“Hope she doesn’t start trying to crawl too soon. We still need to baby-proof the house.” Now that Violet was in Jane’s arms, she didn’t squirm as much. She even seemed to calm down as she grabbed the front of Jane’s shirt. “Aw, you two are sweet as a button. Want me to get the camera out?”

“Yeah sure, that's probably a good idea,” Jane replied, “About the camera, and baby-proofing. I feel like she is going to be a troublemaker. I may not have evidence, but I am convinced your mother has either forgotten, or is telling lies about how much of a well behaved baby you were. I don't believe it for a second.”

“Hmm, I cannot say either way,” Tavish said, rifling through a drawer. “Not a time I have memories of, but I still find it hard believe I was ever quiet. Even when I sleep I’m hollering about something…” Jane had complained about his snoring from time to time, but there was nothing really he could do about it.

Jane laughed. “I guess we'll just have to wait and see. It'll be a surprise.” He hiked Violet up as high as he could to rest her against his shoulder.

Soon everything was set, small sandwiches out for eating and the camera ready for when Jane wanted it. The doorbell rang, and Jane went to let Betsy in.

“Tavish!” Jane exclaimed, immediately attacking him in a hug, “It's so good to see you again! I've missed you both so much!”

“Oof!” Jane replied first. She was a little woman, but she could really pack a punch when she was excited. “We’ve missed you too, Betsy,” he recovered. “Come on in.”

He’d almost forgotten how not-pregnant she would be, since the second to last time he’d seen her had been the sticking point. But now she looked cheery, no longer weighed down by the extra person.

“Tavish and Violet are in the living room.”

“Oh, good!” Betsy dashed past him, not waiting to be invited in.

Tavish was sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching Violet as she lay on her play-mat.

“Good morning Betsy! This is Violet,” he said as Betsy sat beside him. “But I believe you two have already met.”

Betsy grinned, leaning over to get a better look at the baby. “Wow, she has already grown so much hasn't she? It's quite a change after being away for five weeks.” She reached over rub a thumb across Violet's soft cheek. “You're such a beautiful girl! Yes you are! Look at that face!”

Betsy continued to coo over the baby, and Violet just watched her face with an interested expression. Violet was cute in the way all babies are, still with her pudgy cheeks. Although she couldn’t see Betsy all that well, she wiggled at the sound of a new voice.

“If you’ll notice, she’s also looking very pretty today,” Tavish said. “I’m going to go ahead and pretend we always make her look this nice.”

“Looks are good for photos.” Jane gestured to the camera. “I thought I might take some more today.”

“You guys want me in your photo album?” Betsy asked, turning from Violet for a moment.

“What?” Jane gawked at her, “Of course! You're family, remember? We want pictures of Violet with Aunt Betsy.”

Betsy got up and sat on the couch while Jane set up the camera. He’d gotten quite good at it, his many baby along the walls to prove it. Not all of them fit in the baby books, but he still practiced quite a bit.

“Alright! Everyone together now,” Tavish said as he motioned Jane over.

Jane dragged the little photo taking button over to the couch, sitting on Betsy's other side.

“Say cheese!”

“Cheese!”

The flash went off, and Jane immediately hopped off the couch to check the photo. While he was examining it, Tavish took off one of the various spare albums on top of the television. Jane hadn’t gone through and glued them down yet, but at least they were organized.

“Here,” Tavish said, brining it to the coffee table. “Look at her little face…”

“Awwwwwww! She looks like an angel!” Betsy cooed.

“Isn't she?” Jane grinned, “She can already lift her head when she's on her belly, and she will smile back at you. Well, sometimes. It's not exactly reliable.”

“Sometimes I catch her smiling at Jane when she thinks he’s not looking,” Tavish said in an aside. “He’s good at making her happy. Better than me anyway, which is good because I feel like I’m missing her all the time when I’m away at work.”

“You are doing just fine, Mister,” Jane assured him with a stern look.

“I'm sure you're both wonderful fathers,” Betsy said, “I mean just look at Violet! She's a beautiful, happy, healthy baby.And she's quite the talker already!”

Jane thought quietly for a moment. “Hm. I wonder if her first word will be Scottish or American.”

\--------


	22. Chapter 22

It was amazing how much more alive Violet became over the next few months. Sure she had been adorable before, but had pretty much been as sedimentary as a sack of potatoes. Now she laughed and giggle and followed objects with her eyes. Often she’d try to suck her feet, in a show of impressive dexterity. Once they settled into a rhythm, and Violet could be expected to sleep through the night nine times out of ten, Tavish convinced Jane it was alright to go away for a weekend. They chose it more based on Betsy's availability, not wanting to put her out when they only needed a babysitter to give them a break. She seemed excited to spend some one-on-one time with Violet though, so it seemed things would work out for both of them.

The Saturday afternoon of their mini vacation was spent packing up everything Violet would need for her stay, which was a lot more than expected. Her car seat, her playpen, her diapers, food, and toys, it was piling up higher and higher on their living room couch.

“Should we pack her stuffed ducky?” Jane asked, eyeing the already huge pile of toys on the couch. “I know we packed her other stuffed toys but sometimes it's the only thing that will distract her from crying.”

“I dunno. Maybe…” Tavish had never realized how many Violet had until they’d started deciding which ones were actually necessary for a weekend. Mum always told him they had too much stuff, but this time it appeared she was right. “Ach, bring it along. One more won’t hurt.”

Violet busily played with her feet in the carrier as her dad’s put all the assembled baby supplies in the car. Violet's diapers, clothes, food toys, the number of the hotel they were staying at in case of any issues. Then there was their stuff, a single duffel bag filled with their toothbrushes and a change of clothes.

“Well, I think that is everything but Violet herself.” Jane said, lifting Violet in her car seat.

“Alright, let’s go off,” Tavish agreed. Despite the prospect of being away from Violet for so long, he was excited to have a little vacation. “Say ‘goodbye house’.”

Violet babbled something to herself.

-

“And here’s everything!” Tavish said as he unloaded the last bag of baby stuff into Betsy’s modest house. “And er…sorry about it all. We just want you to be prepared.”

“It's alright, rather safe than sorry right?” Betsy replied, smiling warmly at them. She was already holding Violet, who was currently occupied with sucking on a ruffle of Betsy's shirt. “We are going to have lots of fun, aren't we Vi?” She pulled the fabric from Violet's mouth, boosting her up a bit higher. Violet let out a gurgle of annoyance.

“We wrote down her routine for the next twenty-four hours,” Jane rattled off. “Feeding at twelve hundred sharp, followed leg exercises at twelve-fifty, in order for her to keep it down! If there are any problems please do not hesitate to call! The hotel information is on the schedule, and we will call before coming home tomorrow morning. Also sometimes she makes this choking sort of sound when you feed her but she's not actually choking she's just-” His barking was stopped by Tavish's hand suddenly on his shoulder.

“She knows, love. They’ll be fine.” Tavish smiled fondly at Jane. “C’mon, we have a nice weekend ahead of us.”

With that, Tavish began to guide Jane to the car, who looked back over his shoulder all the while. Betsy stood at the door with Violet, trying to wave her little arm at them.

He heard Betsy's “Say bye-bye to your dads!”

Jane turned on the radio soon after they hit the road, music helping to distract the both of them as they sailed down the highway. They arrived at the bar, the familiar building a comforting sight. It wasn’t too crowded, which Tavish had been hoping for, and just seemed like the usual weekend bunch. They were able to catch up with Alex and Marco, and a few other old friends as well.

When asked where they hell they’d been, they had quite the story to tell. Tavish told all the complicated parts, especially about weird Australian procedure most people hadn’t heard of before. He assured them that no, they hadn’t paid for their baby, and yes she had turned out normal and without a mustache. There was some people who asked, hopefully, if their friend was planning on doing more, but Tavish had to tell them that Violet was actually her last one.

After that, he let Jane take over, telling all about how stoked he was to be a dad. It was ironic how much Jane talked, considering his “Don't give away our information!” attitude he'd had on their first visit. He talked all about Violet, how cute and smart and animated she was. How much she looked like and reminded him of Tavish. It spawned more conversation among the nearby patrons. Talking about their own young nieces, nephews, and cousins. It was almost odd, listening to the chatter about kids over the blaring club music.

It was nice having people to tell the truth to, people that he could trust because they all had the same secrets.

Several beers in, and Tavish was pleasantly drunk. The music was good, and he got up off his stool to go sway with the beat. Not as nice as when they had live music, but nice all the same. He looked over at Jane, still chatting with folks but now with a much smaller crowd as the night went on.

He motioned for Jane to join him, despite past experience telling him the soldier would turn him down.

“What is it,” Jane asked, grinning at him. “Lonely.”

The Hinkliest of All Dinkles 8/31/2017 3:47:33 PM

Tavish tugged at Jane’s hips. The music was slow enough for the moment, pulsing in a way that let them sway in time. “Dance with me,” he said, returning Jane’s grin.

Jane frowned. “I don't really do that,” he grunted.

“I know,” Tavish said. “But it’s a nice night, we’re here to relax. You could give it a shot.”

No one was looking at them. They were just another couple of people, enjoying the music. Tavish swayed serenely to illustrate his point.

Jane crossed and uncrossed his arms a few times, then looked around before sighing. Suddenly, his arm lurched in a mechanical motion, and Tavish instinctually jumped back.

It took a few seconds, but Jane’s erratic and jerky motions suddenly made sense when Tavish heard him utter, “bee boop.”

“You ass,” Tavish said, and shoved him on the shoulder. “Next time just say no.” Despite that, he couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his face.

After making fools of themselves for a little while, they sat down at the bar again, and continued to drink the night away. Tavish lost track of the time, and eventually he felt something stronger than the urge to dance: the urge to lie down.

“You ready to head back to the hotel?” he asked, nudging his head into Jane’s shoulder.

“…Affirmative,” Jane said, his head moving drearily with the motion.

They stumbled out into the street, back towards the hotel where they'd parked their car earlier. It was such nostalgia, walking along empty streets supporting his best friend. They road the elevator up, Tavish smiling at their reflections in the polished metal. Their room was nice and clean—not the same room as the last time they’d failed to have a nice date at this hotel, but still semi-familiar. They took off their shoes and outside clothes, both laying them neatly at the foot of the bed.

They both took a minute to rest, holding hands as they stared up at the ceiling. He'd asked the concierge if they had any messages before coming up to the room. There had been none.

“No news is good news, right?” Jane asked, “Means Betsy and Violet are fine...”

“Of course they’re fine. They’ll only call in an emergency.” Tavish rolled on his side to give Jane a comforting kiss. “Violet’s probably been asleep for several hours, and Betsy loves to keep to her schedule. She’ll be settling down right now, just like us.

Jane grumbled, rolling onto his side to press closer to Tavish. “It's just... our job to protect her. I'm supposed to worry.”

“True. Sometimes we’re supposed to worry. But sometimes we’re supposed to remember that she’s watched over by people we trust.” There had been several times when Jane wasn’t talking about Violet to the bar, but they were few and far between. No one could deny Jane’s dedication to the art of Dad Life.

Tavish reached around and got an angle on Jane’s shoulder. He started to massage it, to help the soldier relax.

“Hrrm,” Jane groaned, going limp almost immediately. Tavish moved a bit, letting Jane lie flat as he continued to gently massage his shoulder. “You're going to put me to sleep.” He murmured into the blankets.

Tavish massaged harder, using his knuckles.

“Why don't you do this all the time?” Jane asked, “You don't need to wait for a special occasion.” He let out a breath as Tavish hit a particularly tight spot.

“Oh but I do,” Tavish said, reveling as he worked the knot loose. “If I pulled you away too long, even for a quick massage, you’d be all fussy over Violet before the end, and undo all my hard work.”

“Well, maybe if I know there is a reward I'll stop worrying so much.”

Tavish leaned over his shoulder to kiss him. Jane tasted of alcohol, though maybe a little less than Tavish had consumed. He shifted so that they were chest-to-chest, lazily making out and enjoying the warm buzz of drunkenness that had followed them home. It was warm and comfortable, and Tavish didn’t mind if they did this for however long.

Ever the one to read the room, Jane jerked straight up. “Wait! Tavish! Did you refill the formula container? It was almost half empty and I forgot to tell you before you packed it-”

“Jaaaneee,” Tavish whined. “She’s fine. If Betsy needed more formula, she would have got some.”

“She'll be fussy if it's a different brand.” Jane wasn't even looking at him anymore, he was just staring off into space. “She might not eat. Do you think there was enough in there to last?”

“Jane,” Tavish pressed.

Jane really was starting to worry him. He couldn’t seem to keep the baby off his mind, even when they were miles away.

Tavish sat up, and pulled on Jane’s shoulders for him to come with. “She would have been fed hours ago, whatever way Betsy dealt with it, it’s in the past.”

Jane was silent for a moment. Then he sighed, flopping back onto the bed. “God I don’t…Here we are. Having fun instead of taking care of her.”

Tavish stayed above him, looking down and frowning. “Jane. She doesn’t care about that. Right now, all she cares about is if she’s clean, well fed, and loved.” He put a hand to cup Jane’s cheek. “Maybe we’re not right there to do that last bit for her, but that’s alright. If she did care that we were having fun somewhere else, she would understand it’s just for one night.”

Jane let out a long breath, but as he let it go, it disappeared up into the room, taking the alarm with it. He turned his head, and looked deep into Tavish eye.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “Guess you’re right.” Then, after another beat, “I missed you.”

Tavish smiled softly. “Aye. I’ve missed you too.”

He kissed Jane again, stronger this time, nothing lazy about it at all.

-

In the morning, they extracted themselves from a warm, post-coitus nap and blinked around the room. Silently, they gathered their things and got ready for the day, since checkout was at ten. Their room came with a free continental breakfast, and Tavish grabbed a few bagels for the road.

“Do you think she'll remember me?” Jane pondered, as they started to near Betsy's place. “What if she loves Betsy the best now and doesn't want to go home?”

“Then we’ll just have to win her back,” Tavish said solemnly. “Convince her we’re the best again. Take her out for a special day at the park to prove it.”

Jane huffed a smile. “God I'm excited to see her.” He propped his elbow on the window sill, resting his chin on his hand and staring at the scenery passing by. “Family time is…good.”

Tavish reached out and squeezed Jane’s shoulder. “Sure is. Unless family is me Mum and she wants me to out and re-do the chimney again.”

They pulled up to Betsy’s house, and Tavish could already see her through the window. She’d taken their estimation of when they’d be back pretty seriously.

“Hey Betsy!” Tavish said, slamming the driver’s door. “How did everything go?”

“It was great!” She reassured them. “I had some trouble getting her down last night, what with the new location and everything. But she ate well and didn't cause any fuss. She definitely missed the two of you.”

Jane walked up to Violet, held in Betsy's arms. She made an babbled excitedly, reaching out her arms.

“Good morning Violet, we missed you!” Jane cooed, picking up his daughter and settling her into his arms.

Violet recognized the sound of Jane’s voice and made grabbing motions at his face. When she couldn’t quite reach that, she settled for clinging to his shirt.

Tavish stepped up behind Jane so he could peek over his shoulder. He waved at Violet. “Good to hear you were nice for Auntie Betsy,” Tavish told her. “We knew you’d be a good girl.”

“Of course she is, we raised her right!” Jane scoffed, apparently having forgotten his lamenting about all that could go wrong last night.

Tavish held out a finger for Violet, and she grabbed it instantly. His smiled broadened. It was nice to get back as a family, even if it had been only one day. “Well, what comes up must come down. Let’s go take all of our crap out of Betsy’s house.”

Packing up all of her stuff took almost twice as long this time, as some of her toys had mysteriously gone missing and Jane and Tavish had to nearly tear Betsy's house apart looking for them.

When everything was finally packed she offered them lunch, but they declined, assuring her she deserved a break after spending the night with Violet. They went home, glad to be back with their baby in the backseat.

\---------------

Violet began to cry less as the months went on, a mercy on Tavish and Jane’s sleep schedule. They were able to get more breaks every now and again when Betsy babysat, and the household relaxed in relief. Ortiz sometimes watched Violet too, but was by her own admission not terribly qualified. Instead she just helped Tilly whenever Jane went out to the store for a couple hours.

“Tavish!” Jane yelled on November evening. “Come here!”

Tavish came into the living room, holding the frying pan he’d been drying. “What? Something wrong?” Jane didn’t sound particularly worried, but Tavish didn’t know what else it could be.

“I think she might be ready to sit up by herself, see?” Jane juggled a pair of plastic baby keys in front of Violet, but Violet just took a deep breath, not moving from the mat where she lay on her back. “I mean, she light be tired from her last attempt, but she was really close!”

“Really?” Tavish set down his pan and kneeled by Jane and Violet. “Is that right Violet? You trying to sit up? I know you can do it girlie, you can do anything you set your mind to.”

“Uh, here!” Jane said, shoving the plastic keys into Tavish's hands. “You watch her, and I'll go grab the camera in case she manages to do it.” He retreated upstairs to find the camera.

Tavish began wiggling the keys at Jane ran off. Violet seemed interested, but wasn’t moving with any sort of purpose.

“Aw, come on Vi. You were doing good for Dad, surely you can show me you’ve been practicing?” He jiggled them again. Violet made a squawking noise. “Okay sorry sorry. I know you’re doing your best.”

Then, to his surprise, she was moving again. She rolled over on her stomach and squished her arms under her, like she was pushing herself up.

“Oh lord she’s doing it,” Tavish whispered in excitement. “Jane! Jane get back down here, she’s doing it!”

On her second attempt, Violet managed push her weight up enough to get legs under her, sliding backwards until she was sitting on her legs.

“Ubba aaa,” she said smartly.

“That’s right!” Tavish said proudly.

The thumping of Jane's feet could be heard from the main floor, and soon he appeared, camera in hand.

“What? No... I missed it!” He groaned, going the last few steps down the stairs and coming to sit in front of Violet again. She was looking quite happy with herself. “Well... I'm…proud of you.” Jane’s shoulders slouched,

“I’m sorry Jane,” Tavish said, seeing the look on his face. “If I could tell her to pause I would’ve.” Tavish looked at her, bouncing up and down and enjoying her new height. “Ah, I suppose you earned these,” Tavish said, handing her the plastic keys. She immediately put them in her mouth.

“Well,” Jane said. “I can still take a picture to commemorate the occasion.” He pulled out the camera out of the bag and holding it up to his face. “Look at me Violet!”

“What a strong little button,” Tavish said, looking at the photo once it’d appeared. He squeezed Jane warmly on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it too much love. You still have a chance to catch her first crawl. And then her fist walk! I promise I’ll go grab the camera next time, just so you don’t miss it.”

Jane shook his head, “It's fine, I'm just glad one of us was here to see it.” He turned his head to kiss Tavish on the cheek. “Though if she starts walking or talking when Tilly or Betsy are taking care of her I don’t know what I'll do.”

Tavish laughed, and returned the kiss to Jane’s forehead.

-

Merrily, the most wonderful time of the year swept upon them, and Tavish sat in Violet’s room on Smissmas day waiting for her to wake up. They always let her sleep on her own time, but today happened to be hard when there was a mountain of presents downstairs and no way to tell her how excited she should be.

Finally, the baby blinked herself awake, and began to cry.

“I know, I know, breakfast. C’mon.” He scooped her up and brought her downstairs, where Jane and Mum were already working on their snowman shaped pancakes.

“Merry Smissmas Violet!” Jane said happily to the fussy baby, still squirming in Tavish's arms. He plopped on some chocolate chip eyes on a pancake. “Formula is on the counter Tavish. Breakfast is almost ready.”

Once Violet was sucking happily on her formula, Tavish sat down in his chair. Jane placed a plate of pancakes in front of him, and he smiled at the effort.

“I don’t get what all the fuss is about,” Mum complained. “She doesnot care about what shape the pancakes are anymore than I do.”

“Well they’re more for us,” Tavish told her.

“You two are grown men.”

Tavish shrugged. “They’re fun.”

“Festive.” Jane clarified. “It is necessary to be as festive as possible on Smissmas to prevent Jesus from descending from heaven and unloading his holy shotgun upon us.”

“See Mum?” Tavish said, indicating with the formula bottle. “Do you want Jesus to come down again? Because that’s always how the Rapture starts.”

“Hm,” she replied, and began her pancakes.

After breakfast, Jane immediately got to work snapping photos of all of them as they sat around the tree. Tavish walked over and gave Violet to Mum, the bells on the end of her tiny red hat jingling all the while.

Tavish then scooped the top off the mound of presents, and put it near Violet. “Want me to help you open this, Vi?

Violet let out an “Ooo!” and reached towards the present.

“I think that is a yes,” Jane translated.

Her little fingers didn’t really have the strength to do more than tug at the wrapping, but Tavish helped her open it fully. It was a simple book with three pages made of wood and tied together with string. Tavish opened it so she could see the picture of a raccoon on the inside along with some other animals.

Violet placed her hand on the raccoon and giggled.

Violet got the lion’s share of the gifts of course, with a teething ring from Betsy and a (bit too advanced) child’s science kit from Ortiz, as well as a mound of new clothes from her family.

“How many more of these bloody things?” Mum called as the wrapping paper began to pile up. “I’m being buried alive under all this baby crap.”

Violet had already gotten a toy phone, a wooden dog on a leash, a mobile, another book, and some decorations for her room. There was also an assortment of stuffed animals, which were threatening to fall on Mrs. DeGroot.

Violet's excitement was also wearing out, and she was starting to look sleepy again.

“C’mon Vi, hold on a little longer,” Tavish told her. “Here’s the last one!”

Violet’s final present was a ring tower made of rainbow plastic. Violet tried to pull it apart, even as she yawned.

“Well, that’s that then,” Tavish said, taking her from Mum’s lap. “Someone needs a long winter’s nap.”

When he came back downstairs, they disseminated the rest of the presents. Although not quite as large as Violet's, Whiskers still had a sizable pile of toys by the time they were done with him. Of course, the cat was much more thrilled to play with the wrappings before they got thrown away.

Finally it was time for Jane, Tavish, and Tilly to exchange gifts. It was a much more subdued gift exchange than the previous years, but that was to be expected now that the focus was on Violet.

“Today was a good one, huh?” Tavish asked his mother, watching Jane step past the kitchen door every now and again.

Mum gave a snort. “If your definition of ‘a good one’ is buying more toys than this household can carry! When you were a young ’un, we didn’t buy into all this materialistic crap.”

Tavish waved her off with a, “pssh. It’s not materialistic. It’s baby stuff! They need lots of toys to be stimulated.”

“When you were a baby-”

“I know I know, I had a rag tied around a piece of wood and that was just fine for me.” Tavish rolled his eye.

The argument went on for the rest of the day, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Their bickering had no teeth, and it boiled down to the basic tenant: that’s just not how you should do things. Smissmas day seemed to go to fast. One minute they were opening presents, the next the holiday specials were on TV, and Tavish was able to get Jane to take a break from dinner to come watch.

Violet rejoined them for dinner, and chugged happily away on her bottle.

“To the family!” Tavish said, holding up his glass of wine.

“To the family that just gets bigger every time I’m not looking,” Mum said, holding out her glass too,

Their glasses all clinked together, and Jane tapped his glass gently to Violet's bottle as well. When they were done with dinner they opened the cranberry sauce and served up the pumpkin pie. Mum had already over extended herself, and stopped after a few bites. Tavish made her stay though, reminding her that Jane still needed to take a picture.

“We probably should’ve taken it before we devoured that beautiful dinner,” Tavish said, wiping up a bit of drool on Violet’s face, “but oh well.”

“Hey, we are all stuffed like that turkey and happy as can be, it is the perfect time for a picture!” Jane fetched the camera from the living room and set it up so they could all crowd around Tilly's chair for the photo.

“Ready?”

“Ready!”

The camera clicked, and Violet whined at the sudden light. They’d gotten the photo though, and Jane presented it proudly everyone. They looked good, and like Jane said, happy as can be.

“Well, now that’s over ‘n done with,” Mrs. DeGroot said, “I think it’s about time for some Smissmas carols.”

“Oh, right!” Jane beamed. “Off we go then!” He scooped her up in his arms and marched his way to the music room.

Jane didn’t join Tavish on the bench this time, his arms busy holding the baby. But they pulled up two comfortable chairs so they could watch Tavish sit at the piano.

“Alright,” he said. “Any requests?”

“Silent Nights,” Mum said immediately.

“That’s what we end with,” Tavish told her. “How about something more upbeat?”

“Hmm...” Jane looked down at Violet in his arms to see if she had any suggestions. Unfortunately she still couldn't talk. “Jingle bells maybe? That's good for kids.”

“An excellent suggestion!” Tavish began immediately, layering the simple tune with some more exciting beats.

His deep voice picked up the words, and it didn’t take long for Mum to join in. Tavish looked over his shoulder to watch Jane bounce Violet in time with the notes. This time, Jane joined in immediately, what he lacked in tone more than made up for in enthusiasm. They got through Jingle Bells and started going down the list, going through all their favorite songs.

Finally, at Mum’s behest, they sang Silent Night together, Tavish and Jane’s low voices complementing Mum’s sharper one.

“Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace…”

Tavish glanced over his shoulder to see Violet had drifted off in Jane’s arms. He was rocking her slowly, whispering to himself, “just like baby Jesus...”

Tavish finished the song, and turned on the bench so he could face his family.

Mum placed a hand on Jane’s shoulder and another on Violet’s head. “I dunno about tender and mild, but Jane’s right. She certainly a holy infant.”

Tavish got off his seat and stood behind Jane’s chair. He was able to put arms around both Jane and his mother, letting them all watch the baby as she slept.

“I think she had a very merry first Smissmas,” he concluded, pressing a kiss to the top of his mother’s head.

-


	23. Chapter 23

The months after Smissmas were very crowded in the mansion, the piles of toys seeming to climb to the walls. After a while Violet found which ones she liked the best, and they didn’t feel so bad about putting others in the attic for storage. The most useful, of course, was Betsy’s gift, as Violet’s baby teeth began to grow in earnest.

“Here comes the pipe bomb!” Tavish said to her as he moved a spoon full of mushed carrots around. “ZooooOOOooooom.” He tried to poke it into Violet’s mouth, but she remained frustratingly tight lipped.

“If you want her to eat maybe don't refer to the food as explosives,” Jane suggested from where he was washing the dishes. “I mean, would you open your mouth for a bomb? She doesn't want her head blown off.”

“Well other people say airplanes!” Tavish complained. “What’s the bloody difference between eatinga bomb and eatinga plane? There’s both goingto make a mess.”

They'd spent the last few weeks trying to get Violet onto solid food, but she was quite stubborn. The move to baby cereal hadn't been too bad, but she didn't seem to be a fan of any of the different kinds of pureed food they threw at her.

“Tell you what Vi,” Tavish told her. “If you eat one spoonful, I’ll get your bottle for you. Deal?”

“Ooooh wah!” Violet said angrily, smacking her hands down on the high chair.

“Sounds like I no if I ever heard one.” Jane dried his hands and came over to the pair. “Look here Violet!” He said, grabbing the spoon from Tavish. “Yum yum...” He took a bite of the pureed carrots, and immediately grimaced. “No wonder she doesn't want to eat this, it's so bland... cold and wet.”

“Really? Let me try.” Tavish took a bite and gagged. “Uhg, your right that’s nasty.”

Violet looked up in moderate interest as too adult men passed a jar of carrots back and forth while making retching noises.

“Maybe if we heated it up a little, it would taste better,” Tavish frowned, wiping his mouth.

“It's worth a try,” Jane shrugged, taking the glass jar and tossing it in the microwave for a few seconds. “Don't worry Violet, once you're eating stuff that isn't all mashed up I'll make you some real food.”

The microwave went off and Jane pulled the carrots back out, mixing them a bit and checking they weren't too hot.

“Try now.”

Tavish put the food to his mouth, this time only pretending to eat it, and said, “mmmmmm!”

Violet watched him, unamused. But, when he brought the “pipe bomb” a little closer, he was able to get just a bit in her lips.

“Hey! There you go lass! You’re turninginto a regular toddler!”

“Ummumum,” Violet murmured as she mushed the food around her mouth.

They managed to get her to eat half the jar of carrots, a new record, and Jane and Tavish high-fived each other before pulling out her bottle to let her finish eating.

“As long as we’re making some progress,” Tavish said as he wiped her face of orange goo. “I should tell you. The last time I picked her up from Betsy’s, she told me she’s going to start crawling soon. Was getting her stomach and everything but not moving yet.”

“Really? That's amazing! You going to crawl soon Violet?” Jane asked, but Violet just stared up at him, not answering. He turned to Tavish “We should give her Tummy Time! She could do it today!”

“Alright,” Tavish agreed. “But grab that camera. We don’t want a repeat of last time.”

Jane came back downstairs to see Tavish had placed her on her mat with her collection of toys.

“Alright... how can we encourage her to crawl?” he asked, watching Violet shove one of her teething toys into her mouth and drool all over it.

“Well, she was pretty cranky before I put all this stuff here,” Tavish mused. “Maybe she’ll try to crawl for it if she can’t reach?”

To see, he cleared them out again, placing her favorite ducky to within her line of sight. Violet poked up her head, a line of drool still connecting her to the teething ring. She stared at the toy for a while, then started whining.

“You can get it yourself Violet,” Jane explained, as patiently as he would to Sergeant Whiskers. “We aren't getting it for you.” .

She just continued to whine, nearing the sound of crying. Jane frowned, starting to feel guilty.

“Annnnaaaa…” Violet said. She was able to get on all fours, something she did often enough when she chose to sit up on her own, but remained stationary.

“Come on sweetie, you can do this!” Jane cheered, grabbing the duckie and wiggling it a bit.

She burbled a bit more, then pushed herself forward, putting one hand in front of the other as she began to crawl.

“She’s doing it. She’s doing it!” Tavish patted Jane repeatedly in the shoulder. “Grab the camera!”

Jane stumbled back, crash landing on the floor but luckily not distracting Violet. Violet was making slow progress, having to rock herself each step to get up her momentum. But each hand foreword got a little better, less hesitation between movements. He lifted the camera, grabbing a snapshot as she wobbled her way a bit further.

“You’re doing so good Violet!” Tavish called. “Come here.”

“Let her grab the duck, I'll take a picture.”

Tavish waited, making ducky sing a happy song while Violet crawled the last few inches. “Almost there Vi,” he told her.

“Nunh!” she replied. Then she reached out one hand and triumphantly took the ducky.

“Good job Violet!” Jane snapped a photo then put the camera down, excited to congratulate his daughter.

She had flopped back down once she had the duckie, but that was alright, shed worked hard to get it.

Tavish rubbed the back of his neck. “When Betsy told me she was showingsigns, I didn’t think it’d happen so soon! S’ a good thing I remembered, otherwise we might have missed it the next time we put her down.”

Jane scooted closer to Tavish, nudging him with his shoulder. They gazed down at Violet, who now lay on the floor hugging her little duck. “I'm glad she's doing so well, I'm so proud of her.”

“Aye. She’s come so far…it’s hard to imagine she’s going to be a toddler soon, instead of just a baby.” Tavish pushed back her teething ring into her arm’s reach, just in case her teeth started to hurt her again. “I’m feeling so old, and she’s not even one!”

“We aren’t old, Tavish,” Jane said firmly.

“Yeah, when we’re Mum’s age, then we’ll be old,” Tavish said cheerfully.

“Tavish Finnegan, I heard that!” a voice called down the stairs from Mum’s tinkering room.

Tavish groaned. “She can hear that but not ‘hey look, Violet’s walkin’?”

“Your mother's ears are fine-tuned to notice gossip and people badmouthing her, but not much else.” Jane scooped Violet into his arms for a cuddle. “She'll probably be more interested when Violet is talking, so she can start quizzing her about Scottish history, or whatever you DeGroots do to babies.”

Tavish put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “…No. That’s about right. Violet, what year did James IV sign the Treaty of Perpetual Peace?”

“Puppacha?”

“That’s right! 1502AD! Such a smart little lassie.”

“I'm sure she knows lots about America too! I talk to her about America all the time, Right Violet?” She just grabbed Jane's shirt and snuggled in, suddenly looking very tired. “Aww well, I guess she's too tired for learning history tonight.”

“That’s alright. They’ll be plenty of other times for that.”

Tavish leaned in and kissed them both on their foreheads. Then he began to clean up the leftover tummy-time toys, leaving Jane to put her to bed.

-

More months passed, and Violet now crawled around and cruised along the furniture with ease. She'd also finally gotten over her hatred of solid foods, and ate a lot of purees along with small bits of regular food.

One afternoon Jane was feeding Violet her snack while they waited for Tavish to return from work. He had a bowl of little cut up pieces of pear, giving them to Violet one by one and watching as she mashed them with her new teeth.

“Tasty? You like to eat pears, huh Violet?” Jane asked.

“Mmmwah!” Violet said, a bit of pear-much falling out of her mouth.

Jane chuckled, handing her another piece. “Da is going to be home soon, are you excited to see Da?”

“Ah!”

“Yeah?”

“Ahhh!”

“Well done Violet!”

The three of them had been working hard on Violet's talking recently, they knew her first word would happen sometime soon, so they tried to encourage speaking whenever possible. At first Jane had tried to make her first work “America” Saying it constantly and working it into every sentence, but Tavish convinced him it was too many syllables for a first word.

“Da!”

Jane had spaced out a little, and forgot to give Violet more bits of her snack.

“Ada!” She cried again, reaching out her sticky fingers towards Jane.

“What was that Violet? Da? Dada?”

“Adada! Dada!” she whined.

“Oh my god! Violet is that your first word? Dada?”

“Daaaaaaaadaaaaa!” She whined when Jane still didn't give her more food.

It was then that Jane heard Tavish unlocking the front door, and a distant call of, “hellooo!”

“Tavish come here!” Jane called, his throat suddenly tight. “I-It happened! She... She called me...” Jane let out a choked sob, pressing his forearm to his eyes.

“What? What happened?” Tavish said, arriving in the kitchen with thundering steps and immediately coming to Jane’s side. But then he paused. “Called you? As in her first word?”

“She called me dad!” Jane sobbed, scrubbing at his eyes, “She said dada... and reached out to me.” He sniffled, having trouble containing his feelings.

Meanwhile, Violet still looked perturbed about the lack of food in front of her.

“Oh... Right. Pears.” Jane wiped his eyes one last time and pried himself out of Tavish's arms, passing Violet the bits of pear she was asking for. She quieted down then, happy to eat in silence.

As he did, he noticed Tavish was staring at him. “What were you looking at?”

“Hmm?” Tavish said dreamily. “Oh, nothing I suppose. Just thinking about how good of a da you are. ‘N how much I love my family.” He reached out and gently pinched Violet’s cheek.

“Hmm,” Jane grumbled, pretending he didn't care for Tavish's observation. He was still on a bit of a high from Violet's first word, but tried to ground himself in the moment.

“These milestones got me thinking about how it's almost her first birthday,” Jane murmured. “In about... Six weeks?”

“Oh lord,” Tavish said. “That soon already?” It felt like only last month they’d taken Violet out into the garden for the first time and showed her the fresh flowers. “I can hardly believe it. But you’re right, a whole year is a worth a celebration. Going to be a real toddler, is not that right Vi?”

She'd calmed down a bit after being fed, and didn't seem to feel much like talking anymore. Jane began to clean up the mess she’d made on the booster chair. “She doesn't know to be excited yet. Once she gets her first taste of cake she'll be excited for her birthday every year.”

“Knowing her, she’ll probably be more interested in getting frosting all over her face than actually eating it,” Tavish noted.

-

On Violet's birthday, the two of them couldn't resist waking her up a little early to wish her happy birthday, a sentiment that was met with a loud “No!”

No was Violet's new favorite word. She had understood it for a while, eyes going wide when Jane would yell “NO!” As she attempted to grab something she wasn't supposed to. In the past two weeks however, she had learned she could say it herself, and seemed to prefer it as a response to literally anything.

“Come on Sweetie, It's time for breakfast.” Jane tried to pull Violet from her crib.

“Nooo!” she whined, frowning and rubbing her eyes.

“But it’s your special day Vi,” Jane said. “Da made a whole nice spread for you.”

“No,” Violet insisted.

“Yes he did,” Jane insisted. “You just have to come down and have some.”

One grumpy toddler was no match for an excited Jane, and he managed to pull her up out of her crib.

“So, do you not want breakfast Violet?” he asked as they turned into the kitchen

“No!”

“Good!” Jane said, proud of being able to outsmart a toddler. “That means you do want breakfast.”

He sat Violet down in her high chair, and Tavish started cutting up banana for her while Jane worked on scooping some of their leftover scrambled eggs into a bowl. Violet fussed when Tavish offered her a bit of banana, but at least she wasn’t outright crying. It was hard to understand; to Jane, the breakfast looked fantastic.

“Mmm, Violet look, yummy.” He took a little nibble of banana. That trick didn’t work as well as it used to, and Violet just pouted at him. When Jane set the eggs down, she seemed more interested. “Eggs instead Vi?”

“No,” she said, and reached for the egg bowl.

“There you go.” Tavish handed her a small piece, which she put into her mouth. “Like that?”

“No,” she hummed happily.

Within the hour, the first guests had arrived.

'There's the birthday girl!” Betsy cooed, and Jane placed Violet into her arms. “How are you today?”

Violet let out a low whine, and reached back out to Jane.

“Aww, I think you've forgotten about me hmm Violet?” Betsy forced a quick smooch on her cheek before handing her back to Jane. “Don't worry about it, they are clingy at this age.”

“Ah yeah,” Tavish said. “We’ve noticed. If only being clingy meant the same as listening to the people she’s clinging too.”

“Right...” Jane sighed. “Well, come into the kitchen, I'll make you some tea.”

They trudged back into the kitchen and had their hot drinks. Tavish's mother had come in from the garden and joined them for tea. It would still be a bit until Ortiz arrived, but it was nice to have some time with Betsy before the celebration really began.

“She’s been crawling so well, and eating her solid foods too,” Tavish listed off proudly to Betsy. “Been doing good with her words too- well, you heard her.”

“She’s also been learning to dig up my flower beds,” Mrs. DeGroot put in as she sipped her drink.

“That was one time, Mum,” Tavish complained. “I only stopped watching her for a few seconds.”

“We could always dig her up her own garden space when she gets a bit bigger,” Jane suggested. “She'd love to learn it from you Mum.”

“Of course she would,” Mum replied, refusing to be flattered. “It’s not like either of you two have a green thumb.”

They carried on, all catching up while Violet played with a party favor. Jane had managed to not go crazy with the decorations, but there were hats for everyone and a banner in the kitchen that read ‘Happy 1 Year!’ Soon enough there was another ring of the doorbell.

“Must be Ortiz,” Jane said, motioning to Tavish to let her in.

Tavish opened the door, revealing Ortiz with a giant stuffed bear in her arms.

“Happy birthday!” she announced too quickly before realizing Violet wasn’t in the room. “Oh. Uh, hi DeGroot.”

Tavish snorted. “Hi Ortiz, glad you could make it. Feel free to drop that with the others.”

She did, and followed Tavish into the kitchen.

“Morning Ortiz,” Jane said, waving her over to a chair.

“Hey yeah, thanks for inviting me.” While Tavish poured her a drink, she waved at the baby. “Happy birthday Violet! I hope you like what I got you.”

“Didn’t you try to give her a science kit when she was only six months?” Tilly asked mildly.

Ortiz rubbed the back of her neck. “Oh yeah. Sorry about that, I didn’t really know what babies liked besides diapers and stuff. I’m good this time though! It’s a teddy bear. Everyone likes teddy bears.”

“She'll love it,” Jane tried to reassure her, but Violet had other ideas.

“No!” she snapped, smacking the party favor on the floor.

“Uh,” Jane rubbed the back of his neck. “Don't listen to her, she doesn't really know what that word means.”

Violet tore through her presents like no one’s business, but the Ortiz’s gift was by far the highlight. Once they had extracted her from it, they all moved inside the kitchen, Tavish going to retrieve the beautiful cake Jane and Tilly had made. The extra time on the frosting had paid off, with a multitude of purple roses dotted along the icing and framing “Happy 1st Birthday Violet!”. Jane grabbed a single candle from the little pack he'd bought at the store, and placed it in the centre of the round cake. He pulled the lighter out of the drawer, and lit the candle as everyone else gathered around Violet in her high chair.

As Jane picked up the cake and brought it to the table, everyone began to sing “Happy Birthday”. Violet looked at them each in turn, trying to figure out what it all meant.

“Happy Birthday, Vi,” Tavish said, patting her on the head as the song finished. “Hopefully next is goingto be just as good as the last.”

Violet looked at the cake, then back up at him, then at the cake. “Hapbudah?”

“That’s right!” Tavish grinned, and stood behind Violet’s chair. “Want us to help you blow that candle out?”

Violet didn't understand the question, but they were able to make the executive decision to blow it out for her. Their guests clapped as the candle was blown out, and Jane gave Violet's hair a little tousle before going to get plates.

Jane cut Violet just a sliver of the vanilla cake, as they did not want her getting addicted to sugar at such a young age. Placing it in front of her, Violet didn't quite seem to understand it was food.

\----

“Yummy!” Jane tried to explain, but he was busy cutting pieces for their guests.

The Hinkliest of All Dinkles 11/4/2017 1:40:33 PM

“Here Violet,” Tavish said. He broke off a piece of cake and put it toward Violets mouth. When she still just looked up at him, he made an example of putting the piece in his own mouth. “See! Good, tasty.”

Violet seemed to get the picture. She slammed one of her chubby little baby fists down and came back with a handful of mushy cake. Putting it in her mouth, she gave a squeal of delight. Jane smiled at the exchange, passing Betsy, Ortiz, and Tilly their slices of cake before running off to grab the camera.

Violet had a face sufficiently covered in icing by the time he got back, and it was perfect for a photo.

“Look at the camera sweetie!” Jane called.

She looked over round eyed while white and purple icing coated her face. The camera clicked.

-


	24. Chapter 24

As much as they all tried to keep to themselves, it soon became apparent to Tavish that Violet was going to need to spend time with other kids if she was going to grow up well adjusted. One day, after his shift Tavish stopped several daycares to check them out and ask questions. He took notes, bringing them home to get Jane's opinion.

“That place sounds too snooty,” Jane said as they went over the three daycares Tavish had visited. “I know we can afford a high-end place, but I don't want Violet getting stuck up and start drinking from her sippy cup with her pinky up.”

“Well, she is a princess,” Tavish pointed out. “But I agree with you. All those snotty little rich kids will rub off on her if we set her up there.” Tavish shuffled through the information, bringing up another pamphlet with some atrocious looking graphic design. “What about this one? The play area outside looked fantastic.”

“Well that would be good.” Jane glared at the brochure. “She's already pretty active. What did the caretakers seem like? Nice?”

“Er…” Tavish hesitated. “Well, they weren’t rude exactly. But none of the folks actually seemed excited to be there. They all just went about their business managing the kids.” He shrugged. “Probably because they have an exhausting job.”

“Hmm, well... It could be worse.” Jane frowned. “What about the last one?”

Tavish pulled out the last pamphlet, spreading it out. “This one’s the farthest out of the way if we’re talking’ between here and either of my jobs. But, since you were asking about the caretakers, they were definitely the nicest. Full of pep and all that, and the place looked nice ‘n clean.”

“Alright well... that one sounds the best.” Jane turned to Violet. “What do you think Violet? Want to go to The Peek-a-boo Learning House?”

Violet slapped her hand excitedly where Jane was pointing before declaring, “ya!” Jane and Tavish shared a nod. –

-

It took less paperwork than Tavish imagined to get Violet all set up. The only hitch was when the lady at the front desk assumed he was a single father and raised an eyebrow when he only signed his daughter up for one day a week. For a second he felt a sudden pressure to sign Violet up for two, but he knew Jane got worried whenever Violet was away for too long. In the end he stuck through it, even as the woman stared at him over glasses. On the first day, he loaded Violet into the backseat and the two of them waved goodbye to Jane. They pulled up to daycare a half an hour later, and Tavish carried her to the front door.

“And you’re going to be a good girl for these nice folks, aren’t you sweetie?” he asked Violet as he tripled checked that she was already to go. She didn’t answer, distracted by some blocks in the room beyond. “Violet? Did you hear me.”

She looked back at him. “Ya?”

“You’re going to be good right?”

“Okay.”

It was as good of an answer as he would get. He called “make friends!” as she dashed away into the next room, and sighed as he went back to his car. At work, it was like his first time leaving Jane and Violet alone all over again, and he kept agitatedly looking at his watch all day. It wasn’t as bad this time though, mainly because he had a year of parenting under his belt now, but when it was finally time to pick her up he had to remind himself to step calmly through the daycare’s front doors.

“You look new here,” one of the caretakers said, appearing from the back. “I’m Chrissie, nice to meet you. You here for a pickup?”

“Aye,” he said, trying not to look nervous. What if Violet was homesick? What if she realized none of these people were Tavish, Jane, Tilly, or Betsy? Had she cried a lot? Instead of asking he said, “here for Violet DeGroot.”

Chrissie nodded, and stepped back into the back room, where the sound of children laughing could be heard. “Violet! Your father’s here!”

Tavish didn’t have to wonder for long. Violet scampered into the foyer, holding a toy hammer and swinging it about wildly.

“Da!” she shouted as she saw him. She rushed forward, laughing, and clung to his pant leg.

“Hey now,” he laughed. Scooping her up, he said, “does that belong to you?”

Violet looked at the hammer in her hand. “…Ya?”

“No it doesn’t. Here,” he said holding out for it. When Violet reluctantly handed back her toy, he passed it to Chrissie. “Sorry about that. It seems like she really enjoyed herself.”

“Oh defiantly,” Chirssie assured him. “She is so well behaved. A bit shy when it comes to the other kids, but she’s just an angel when we need to get ready for the next activity.”

Tavish glowed. “You don’t know how good that is to hear.” He grinned at Violet. “Is that true Violet? Are you an angel?”

“Uh-huh,” Violet said enthusiastically, and both Tavish and Chrissie laughed.

It was a huge weight off Tavish’s shoulders as they left the daycare, saying he’d see them next week and buckling Violet into her car seat.

-

Several months later, Violet was adjusting well to having other kids around. Tavish lead her inside, the toddler tugging happily on his hand once she saw the front doors.

“Ellie!” she began calling out, a name Tavish recognized to be one of her friends. Apparently, they were very good at sharing finger paints.

“That’s right lass,” Tavish said. “Get to see all your little mates again.”

“Welcome back Violet!” Chrissie said as she checked her in. “Good to see you again.”

Chrissie looked about to say something else, when the door to the daycare burst in. “So sorry I’m late!”

Tavish blinked, not used to seeing other parents at the reception. The mother was ginger, overly gangly, and followed by a docile little boy whose expression remained listless until it landed on Violet. He perked up, and began waving from his spot behind his mother.

“Hi Ricky!” Violet practically shouted, as though worried he hadn’t noticed her.

The woman stopped short when she spotted Violet and Tavish. Her eyes flicked over the two of them at a mile a minute, and Tavish got the strangest feeling he was being scanned, much in the way Spy made him feel before Tavish had learned to get used to the other RED. The curious flittering of the woman brought about uncomfortable memories.

But it was almost over as fast as it started when she burst into a wide grin. “Well howdy! Almost didn’t see you there, not used to seeing any other moms or dads unless its during pickup.”

“Heh,” Tavish replied, “neither am I-”

“You seem, usually I work the dawn shift,” she said so fast Tavish barely even realized he’d been cut off. “Gotta be here early you know! If you’re still asleep at seven, why you’re practically wasting the whole day! That’s what I say anyway.” She smiled pleasantly at Tavish, and he was almost taken aback. He didn’t have to worry about lapsing into silence, because she turned immediately to the front desk. “It’s always just me and Chrissie in the morning! Isn’t that right, hon?”

Chrissie smiled with the years of patience only working in childcare can accrue. “That’s right. Mrs. Doss is always one of our first check-ins.” Before Mrs. Doss could say anymore, she said, “would you like to check Ricky in now?”

“Oh of course!” She moved to the desk right away, but that didn’t stop her from continuing her stream of words. “Now Ricky, I’ve taught you better than this, letting me stand here. Introduce me to your friend!”

Ricky, who looked to be about three, shrank as attention was called to him. Under his mother’s scrutinizing eye, he shifted on his feet and pointed over at the DeGroots. “…’s Violet.”

“It’s rude to point, Ricky,” Mrs. Doss said tersely.

“…sorry mommy.”

Her expression quickly shifted when she turned back to Tavish. “So you’re Violet’s daddy, huh? I’ve heard so much about her! Though she does look a bit sickly…have you tried switching to oat-bran cereals? It does wonders for a toddler’s health!”

Tavish’s jaw tightened immediately. “Actually,” he said firmly, “Violet’s had a cold these past few weeks.”

“All the more reason to try it!” Mrs. Doss beamed. “Good for the immune system.” Tavish didn’t even get to reply to that one, since she decided to check her watch. “Oh look at the time! And I was already late for work, ha! Better scurry, idle hands are the devil’s tools you know.”

She was out the door, leaving Ricky standing in her dust. Chrissie moved from behind the desk, shepherding the two children to the backroom. Tavish looked out toward the road, frowning slightly. “Is she always-?”

“Have a nice day, Mr. DeGroot,” Chrissie said hastily, before disappearing. And what is his imagination, or did she even sound a bit afraid?

-

“Hi Violet, how was daycare?” Jane asked as she and Tavish shuffled in the front door.

“Good!” She blurted, bouncing up and down and reaching her hands out. Jane happily obliged, scooping Violet up into his arms and kissing her on the cheek.

“We don't grab people's faces sweetie,” he lectured as she attempted to honk his nose, holding her hands still.

“No!”

“Hey, there. You wouldn’t want other people grabbing your face, now would you?” Tavish asked her.

“No…” Violet furrowed her brow. “Mike grabs. Made my nosey disappear.”

Tavish couldn’t help but snort a little. He hid it though, and said “and that made you feel bad aye?” Violet nodded. “Then dunnot do that to your daddy.”

Over dinner Violet talked about her first day back, in as many words that weren’t babble. She was glad to see all her friends, and at the mention of Ricky, Tavish was able to pick up the conversation. “I met Ricky’s mum today,” he said, putting some noodles on his fork. “Woman’s got more homebrew wisdom than all ‘o mum’s bridge club put together.”

Jane scoffed, twirling the spaghetti around his fork. “That hardly seems possible.” He shoved the forkful into his mouth.

“If only,” Tavish shivered. “Reminded me of me primary school teacher, condescension and all.”

“Ah, Mrs. Dubh,” Mum said. “I remember that lass. Charming woman.”

Tavish grunted. “Of course you’d think so.”

Jane chuckled slightly, “Well it's not like she will be much of a problem anyway. Ricky’s three, right? Not that long until he starts kindergarten and she won't be dropping him off at the daycare anymore.”

“Don’t say that,” Tavish replied. “Because soon Violet’s going to be three, and then it’ll be her that’s ‘not much longer until kindergarten’.”

Violet slurped up her noodles to illustrate her ascent into adulthood.

“Pssh,” Jane waved off. “She is going to stay like this forever. Right Violet? Are you going to stay our little girl?”

“Yes daddy,” she replied dutifully, hands and face covered in spaghetti sauce.

“Well, that settles it,” Tavish chuckled. “You’ll get to go to a lot more daycare in that case.”

-

“Why do I have to pick her up?” Jane complained over the phone, the sound of Tavish’s work heard distantly on the other line. “We agreed it’d always be you. Otherwise…”

“You wouldn’t have to lie...” Tavish started to say. “…Okay, would have to lie. But it’d be a little lie, like how we tell Violet that eating her carrots will make her be able to see in the dark.”

Jane sighed from his position at the kitchen phone, rubbing his face as he leaned against the wall. “Ok but...”

“You’re going to do fine Jane,” Tavish assured him. “Just say you’re my friend from work, and you don’t have to say which work.” When Jane didn’t immediately replym he added, “and if you really don’t want to, you don’t have to. Ortiz can handle it without me.”

“Oh... It's for Ortiz?” Jane frowned for a second, then sighed. “Well for her I guess I can do it. Just... make sure you call them! Otherwise I’m just some random man in a fedora.”

Tavish had a good chuckle at that. “Can do! Though you’re as far from ‘some random man’ as you can possibly be, heh.”

-

“Um, Hi. I'm Jane,” Jane started, immediately ruining his pre-planned statement that he’d been rehearsing in the car. “Um... I think Tavish called. About me. And..... Violet.”

“Ah yes,” the Chrissie smiled. “You’re Mr. DeGroot's work friend, right?"

“Work?” Jane paused, going cross-eyes for a minute. “I mean yes! Whatever he said is.... it's true.” Jane resisted the urge to smack himself. “Um, I'm in a bit of a hurry so... if you could get her...”

“Will do. Wait one moment, sir.”

But the instant Chrissie was out of sight, Jane was joined in the room by another parent coming through the front doors.

“So sorry I’m late,” Mrs. Doss said again. She stopped when she realized her only audience was a lone Jane shuffling near the front desk. “Oh, howdy there! And here I thought I’d be the last one to pick up!”

“Oh... I... Thought I was early.” Jane mumbled, unconsciously inching away from the strange woman. He really didn't want to have to explain himself to any more people than he had to.5

“If you think you’re early, you must be new.” Mrs. Doss then chortled like she’d just told the funniest joke in the world. “Oh but where are my manners! Who might you be? I can tell my little Ricky to introduce himself to your child, he’s very good at making new friends feel comfortable.”

“Oh I'm not new, well I mean I’m new but my daughter...” Jane froze, “I-I-I mean Violet... Violet is not new. I'm here to pick her up for Tavish. Do you... know Tavish?” He bit his tongue in an attempt to stop the word vomit.

“Hmmm…” Mrs. Doss put a thoughtful hand her chin. “Can’t say that I do but…” She snapped her fingers suddenly. “Violet! I do know that name! My Ricky and her are great friends. Is Tavish her Daddy’s name, then? I met him once, back a couple of months ago.”

“Yeah, Tavish is her Da.” Jane slipped into Tavish's wording. “I'm just here to pick her up today, Tavish had some work come up.”

“Oh, are you a friend of the family then?” Mrs. Doss asked sunnily, but Jane didn’t get a chance to respond since Chrissie and Violet slipped back into the room.

Violet blinked, first looking at Mrs. Doss, then letting her eyes fall on Jane. She paused, the surprise melting away as a huge smile crossed her face, and she rand toward Jane with a cry of, “Daddy!”

“Violet!” He still had to smile at her, she had no reason to think she'd done something wrong. He scooped her up into his arms and smiled awkwardly. “She uh, she calls everyone that y'know?” He laughed “Doesn't know what it means.”

Violet gently tapped his chest. “We go?”

Chrissie was already leaving into the back, but Mrs. Doss just stared, her smile frozen in place. Her eyes flicked over Violet, now clutched in Jane’s arms and grinning happily at him. They stopped at Jane’s face, the awkwardness now turning into full blown nervousness.

“…I see,” she said, very slowly.

“Right...” Jane responded, breathing slowly. “It was nice to meet you, um...” Jane stuck out his hand, but realized he hadn't yet learned the woman's name.

“Oh,” she said, looking down at Jane’s hand. Then, a very wide smile crossed her face, showing ever one of her very white teeth. “You can call me Charmaine.” She took Jane’s hand and shook it like she was trying to pull him down with her into the pits of hell.

“Yeah...” Jane muttered, trying to pull his hand away. “I'm Jane, It was nice to meet you... Charmaine.”

Apparently satisfied, she finally released his hand. Jane scooted out the door as quickly as he could, awkwardly returning Mrs. Doss' wave after he buckled Violet into her car seat. “Well that went terribly,” Jane said to Violet as they drove down the road back home.

-

“Hey Jane,” Tavish said, slumping into the living room late that night. “I can see you got Violet alright.” 

“Yeah...” Jane murmured, not sure how to explain the experience. “I did screw up though, in front of one of the moms...” He trailed off after that, awkwardly handing Violet one of her plush toys as she worked on stacking them in a big pile.

“Screw up?” Tavish’s blinked. “What, did you drop her or something?”

“I didn't DROP our daughter Tavish!” Jane quickly lowered his voice again once he realized he was shouting. “I accidentally called her my daughter in front of someone, Charmaine, I think. I tried to cover it up, but then Violet came in and immediately yelled “Daddy” at me and I don't even remember what I said, I just wanted to get out of there.”

“What?” Tavish’s voice pitched. “Charmaine? I don’t know…well what happened after that? Did she say anything?” 

Jane thought about it for a second. “No... She didn't really say anything. But she was looking at me kind of weird... I think. I'm not good at reading people Tav.”

“Bloody hell,” Tavish said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Then catching the look on Jane’s face he let out a steadying breath. “Ach, look Jane. We don’t how bad this is yet, it could be nothing. We’ll just pretend nothing happened.”

“But... I hate just waiting,” Jane complained. “I mean, I won't sleep until we know she's not going to figure out what's going on and rat us out.”

“Well what else are we supposed to do?” Tavish asked, briefly raising his voice before casting a nervous glance out the back door. He didn’t want Violet to think they were fighting.

Jane didn’t have an answer for that. For now, he’d just have to trust Tavish.

-

Tavish saw Charmaine every morning after that. There was always “friendly conversation” that would ensue, which would leave three of the four people present worse off than before. Tavish even tried coming in earlier to throw her off, but someone at the daycare must have tipped her off.

Mum could always tell when Tavish or Jane was moping, and both at the same time was a problem. As soon as they were done with breakfast one morning, she told Jane, “get the little lassie dressed. We need to go cheer you two up.”

“How do you plan on doing that?” Jane asked tiredly, poking at his pancakes.

“Is that an attitude I hear, young man?” Mum scolded. “Buck up, we’re going to the senior center, and those old coots are going to put a bit of life into you.”

Tavish opened his mouth, but Jane shot him a look over the table. Tavish shut it with a frown.

“We'll go, It is better than moping around anyway. We've been doing a lot of that lately.” Jane stated.

Tavish agreed, though quietly, and helped get Violet dressed. They bustled off to the senior center, taking their dear sweet time as Mum pointed out.

“Oh, you’ve brought everyone by today, haven’t you!” one of the women, someone Tavish recognized from bridge club, said as they walked in.

“Have I? I was hoping one or two of ‘em would fall off along the way,” Mum said with a wave of her hand, finding her way to a seat in the sewing circle.

Jane, unlike Tavish, also had a share of friends from hanging around on the days he dropped Mum off. He unceremoniously plopped Violet into Tavish's arms before wandering over to see what all the old ladies were working on. Tavish awkwardly stood to the side, only really coming around when someone wanted to take a look at Violet, or when Mum wanted a cup of hot water from the cafeteria.

“Oh don’t bother him with that!” Ruthie interjected. “We have these fancy new Australian intercoms, we can call one of the people already there and have ‘em bring it right too us!” Tavish didn’t get a chance to say that it was really alright, he could do it, before Ruthie was leaning over to a box in the wall and pressing the blue button on it. “Charmaine? Would you mind brining us something to drink?”

From his spot in the corner, Tavish stiffened at the name. He soon forced himself to relax though, after all, what were the odds it was the same woman from the daycare?

More likely than he thought apparently, as an all-too familiar voice came on over the intercom.

“Right away Ruthie! Anything for you!” Charmaine, the Charmaine, pepped right back.

Tavish went into a panic, looking between Jane and Violet and then for any sort of escape from the suddenly-too-close-to-the-cafeteria rec room.

“Tavish!” Jane hissed loudly across the room. “What do we do?” He looked like a trapped animal, eyes flitting around the room as he looked for any escape.

Tavish didn’t know. He might have said as much, but the sound of Charmaine’s voice chattering as she took Ruthie’s order.

Run- no not run. Running was bad and she’d know he was there anyway if she so much as asked anyone. Instead, he whispered out the corner of his mouth, “stay calm. We’re allowed to be here. Just remember that.”

“Allowed, sure. But is it normal for me to be here when I'm not related to any of these old people?” The woman beside Jane gave him a look, but he ignored it. “She will know I'm here because of you! And Violet!”

No amount of plausible deniability was going to get them out of this when Jane was in the middle of a freakout. One Tavish didn’t get to try and stop as Charmaine walked in with some hot water and two mugs of tea.

She was halfway to putting them down on the table when her eyes widened at the group tucked around Mum. “Oh Tavish!” Her eyes flicked to Jane. “And Jane! What a surprise to see you here.”

“... Same to you,” Jane mumbled.

“H'lo!” Violet called out, seemingly happy to see someone else she recognized.

In the time it took for the surprise to clear from her face, something cheerful and devious replaced it. “Hi there Violet!” she waved. “What a world to bring us all together. What are you boys doing at the center?”

“Just drove Mum,” Tavish said evasively, putting a hand on Mrs. DeGroot’s shoulder. “And sorry to be so rude but we were just heading out.” He squeezed his hand and cocked his head toward Jane. “C’mon.”

“Oh, you all drove together, did you?”

Tavish froze as he realized his slipup.

“I-I can't drive.” Jane blurted, “I-I mean I don’t have a car!”

“But didn't you pick Violet up in a car?” Charmaine asked innocently, leaving Jane with his mouth hanging open.

“We’d love to talk some other time,” Tavish insisted, his mind volunteering nothing more helpful than full retreat. “But we really do have to be going.”

“Hush Tavish,” Mum batted him off. “I haven’t finished my water.”

“Mum,” Tavish insisted, hoping the sternness of his voice would get through to her.

Something must have clicked with her, since she thought for a moment before setting down her cup.

Jane quickly scooped up Violet and started shuffling towards the door, “Anyway, nice seeing you Charmaine!”

“Bye-bye!” Violet waved.

Tavish wasn’t far behind, wish his mother could shuffle faster as they followed Jane out. He kept his head turned over his shoulder, fake smile plastered to his face as he slung more goodbyes and apologies. They were just pushing open the last set of doors when they all froze.

“Hey wait a second!” It was Charmaine again.

“We should run,” Jane whispered to Tavish.

“We can’t-” Tavish said before his mother cut him off.

“What has gotten you two?” Mum demanded. “What that little volunteer girl do that’s got you so jumpy?”

“She-” Tavish stuttered. “She’s been-…nosing and I think-…she knows?” was all he managed before Charmaine rounded the corner.

Jane held Violet a little tighter as Charmaine came into view. She stopped in front of them, an appraising look in her face.

“Is something the matter?” Jane sputtered out.

“I was just curious why you were leaving all the sudden,” she replied sweetly. “Are you all going home together?”

“I-!” squeaked Tavish. “N-no! Of course not. Me ‘n Mum are going and then-”

“Well back there it certainly seemed like you were all living together,” Charmaine said as plainly as possible. She knew she had them cornered.

“It's because I'm homeless!” Jane blurted out. “A-and Tavish... And Tilly.... They let me stay with them! That's all...”

“Oh I don’t think that’s it.” She looked chirpily between Tavish and Jane. “I think you two are sharing an alternative lifestyle! Well? Am I right?”

Jane looked at Tavish, who stood firmly in front of him, eyebrows drawn together and mouth pressed in a thin line, but Tavish was just as dumfounded, having nothing more comforting to say.

However, someone else did. “Listen here lassie,” Mrs. DeGroot growled. Charmaine jumped, as though she’d forgotten she hunched over woman was there entirely. Mum stalked up to the blonde. “I’ve heard just about enough out of you! You think you can come over here and threaten my boys right in front of me with out getting your little hiney kicked to kingdom come? We’ll you’ve got another thing coming lass! You so much as speak a word against my family and how they live your life, they’re going to have to pick bits ‘o you out of the nearest grocery store parking lot!”

“Tilly!” Jane yelped. Jane ran his free hand through his hair, the other still holding Violet to his chest. “You're not helping!”

For the first time Charmaine actually looked put off her game. “I-”

“You think you’re first loudmouthed little scamp I’ve blown to bits? I’ve killed more folks than you teeth, and I won’t hesitate if you so much as breath your new gossip. You hear me you-?”

“Mum!” Tavish said this time. She was getting dangerously close to Charmaine, and he didn’t doubt she’d break the other woman’s spine.

“Ma’am please calm down!” Charmaine scuttled back. “I wasn’t going to tell anyone! I swear!”

“Really?” Jane asked, squinting at her. “Then... why do you care so much?”

“Because she’s a-!” Tilly started before Tavish cut her off.

“Mum, let her answer.” Because now he was curious too, eyeing up the woman up and down.

“Well…” Charmaine blinked, frazzled now that the immediate danger had passed. “…I suppose I just wanted to know?”

“…That's it?” Jane blinked.

“That’s it, I swear,” Charmaine insisted. She looked between the three of them. “I suppose I did get a little overzealous. I mean, considering that it ended up just being a yes or no question.”

Tavish narrowed his eye. He’d almost describe her voice as sheepish if it belonged to anyone else. Jane moved up next to Tavish, just close enough that their arms were touching.

“So... You promise not to say anything? To anyone?” Jane stressed.

“Oh goodness no! A secret’s no fun if everyone knows.” She smiled, but it wilted quickly in light of three eyes and pair of sunglasses glaring at her.

“You’re a real terror, you know that,” Mum growled.

The smile shrank smaller. “I don’t have a problem with it you know,” she assured. “I’m all for you folks. I’ve seen three Broadway shows!”

“You...” Jane squinted at her again. “…What?”

Tavish just rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I think we’ve cleared the air enough here. Mum, let the woman go.”

Mrs. DeGroot faced Charmaine for a good ten seconds longer before finally turning with a, “pah!”

Charmaine looked relieved. “Well um, have a nice ride home.” Before they could make her exit she did put in one interjection. “And I’ll see you again at the daycare! Maybe Violet and Rickie can have a playdate some time.”

“Ricky!” Violet exclaimed, recognizing the name of her friend. “I wanna play!”

“Maybe later Violet.” Jane said gently.

At Violet’s words, Charmaine smiled. “I hope you! You guys take care.”

Before she could say anything more, Tavish led his mother around the shoulders and shuffled then shuffled his family out the door.

-

At home Tavish wrapped his arms around Jane, pressing Violet between them. “Jesus… that was more trouble than it was worth.”

Jane laughed, harsh sounding but relieved that this whole thing was over. “It sure was. I guess Violet has a friend she can play with outside of daycare now.”

Mum harumphed. “If you ask me, drop that tart all together. You lads don’t need someone who’s going to talk to you like that.”

Tavish sighed, leaning back further into the couch. “Maybe.” He paused, collecting his thoughts, “But… we have to let her see other kids. Might as well be someone we don’t have to hide from.”

The statement didn’t seem to make Mum happy, but she didn’t push it further, shuffling back into kitchen. Violet, escaping her parent’s grasp, toddled over to her toybox and opened her favorite animal book, and Jane and Tavish were left back into normalcy.

-


	25. Chapter 25

Charmaine really did keep her word, and Tavish found it not as much a pain as he thought to arrange the promised playdates. She was nowhere near enjoyable company, mind you, but Rickie and Violet became fast enough friends to make up for it.

Although, sometimes time seemed to move too fast. Suddenly another year had gone by, and Tavish picked her up one day to realize she was more person-shaped than ever, rather than the little butterball he’d grown used to. It got him feeling old, which got him sentimental, which got him thinking one night.

“Jane? Love? Mind if I talk to you for a moment?”

“Yes dear?” Jane said sarcastically, throwing a grin Tavish’s way. He knew how much Tavish hated being called that. “What is it?”

“Been thinking,” Tavish muttered vaguely, still not sure how much Jane would jump on the idea. He leaned against the rail entwining the edge of the patio. “Thinking…Mum probably wants to see home again. Sometime at least.”

“Well I think she’s already had her last chance at that.” Jane joked.

No response.

“You know… because she’s blind.” The statement fell flat, and he was left staring awkwardly at Tavish.

“Oh. Haha, right.” Tavish’s laugh was purely for Jane’s sake. “Well, you caught me. I guess I really mean I want to see home, Ullapool, again. And well…I thought it might be nice to take a family trip. All four of us.”

“Really?” Jane sputtered, shocked by the sudden proposal. “You…. Me too?”

“If you’d like,” Tavish smiled. “I mean, I know you have that thing about not leaving America unless it’s to kill people, but thought you might make an exception.”

“Well…” Jane blinked, but he hadn’t rejected the idea outright. “I don’t understand all that Scottish stuff,” (he’d learned to stop calling it ‘crap’ once it applied to his daughter) “But I know it’s important to you and Violet, and you two are important to me, so…”

“So you’d come?” Tavish brightened.

“…Yes,” Jane declared unexpectedly, then let his thoughts catch up to him. “Wow, Violet is going to love it.” He stepped closer to Tavish and slid an arm around his waist.

Tavish hugged him back immediately. “You’re telling me!” Then he thought for a minute. “We should make it like…some sort of present for her. Her third birthday is coming…”

“True,” Jane mused, “But she is still going to need toys, I don’t think she’s old enough to really understand why there aren’t wrapped presents for her on her birthday.”

With a snort, Tavish said “you spoil her rotten.” Conveniently forgetting that he was just guilty of that as well.

“We should probably let Mum in on this. She’s not quite as fond of surprises as Violet.”

-

Mrs. DeGroot, despite the proposed date being several months away, still managed to be cranky that they wanted her to “drop everything and leave the country,” but eventually warmed to the idea. Tavish found her in her room once, photo album from her wedding day unopened in her lap. Tavish just sat with her a little while, saying nothing.

Violet, unsurprisingly, was much easier to convince.

“Scotland!” she yelled, having opened her cloth map of the world and pointed to it energetically. “Home greatest demolition people!”

“Aye! That we are Vi,” Tavish told her with a pat on her head.

Jane suppressed an eye roll. “And what about America Violet?” He couldn’t help but chime in.

Violet paused to look at her map again, tilting her head before pointing a chubby finger at the correct country. “Land of the free, home of the brave,” she parroted, failing to sound stoic with her high-pitched baby voice. God forbid she try to name any other country that her parents hadn’t drilled into her during some sort of patriotic competition.

“Good girl!” Jane exclaimed, stepping over to ruffle her hair, much to Tavish’s chagrin. He knew how much time Mum spent styling their daughter’s curls.

“Oi, don’t change the subject. We’re talking about Scotland here.” Tavish knelt down. “You remember everything else I taught you about home, lass? All those things you got to be excited for when we go?”

Violet thought hard for a minute. “…Good srkumm-pee?”

Tavish smacked a hand to his face. “Ach no! Not that!”

Jane had a laugh that came out as a snort. He covered his mouth, knowing how that would just encourage her. It was too late though, she’d seen the effect it’s had on her dads.

“Skrum-pee skrum-pee!” Violet chanted, jumping up and down and Jane keeled over with laughter.

“You did it,” Jane choked out, “You’ve corrupted our child.”

“I did not!” Tavish blustered. “I only told her the perfectly noble things ‘bout Scotland.” He waved his finger at Violet. “The scrumpy is for me, Violet. You can have some in another five years or so.”

“Five?!” Jane exclaimed, it was his turn to be horrified. “Oh lady liberty,” he murmured, “Nevermind common decency Tavish, I CANNOT deal with TWO drunken Scots walking around this house.”

“Hey! I’m hardly drunk anymore. ‘Cept when I want to be.” That as much was true, as in the years since RED he’d had to suffer his mother berating him for it a lot more, as well as trying to be a good role model for Violet. He thoughtfully tried again. “…Ten years?”

Jane scoffed. “I am not having this conversation when she’s only three. I mean for one, she should probably start with light beer.”

“Pah! A drink that barely makes worms squirm. No daughter of mine will be anointed with such weak swill.”

Violet, having noticed that the conversation was only tangentially about her now, decided she wanted to build her own castle of blocks on top of Scotland.

-

After two connecting flights, Tavish’s feet touched down in Scotland for the firs time in ten years. (The real Scotland, not the weird time travel dimension Merasmus had sent them all to that one time.) He breathed in lungful of the Glasgow and gently put a hand on Violet’s back. “Welcome home, Vi! Is it everything you could’ve imagined?”

Violet pointed at a seagull and imitated its squawk.

“We have those at home you know,” Jane mumbled.

Mum was with them too, having taken it upon herself to be Violet's 'proper' guide to Scotland. She held the three-year-old's hand with an iron grip, Jane and Tavish knew she wouldn't be going anywhere that way.

“Ah,” Tavish waved his hand, “lets get out of the city. ‘S not the real Scotland anyway. Not until we get you some hills.”

The ride took Tavish’s breath away, and he wasn’t shy about showing it. It took quite a pretty penny to get all the from Glasgow to Ullapool, but it was nothing for them. Not when things were so much better than Tavish remembered: the rolling hills were greener, the lochs were bluer, (Ullapool was just as dull.) He pointed every historical location he could think of on the way, explaining in detail who had died there and in what battle to an attentive Violet. He could tell she wasn’t quite grasping everything he said, but it was the thought that counted. At the very least, Mum nodded approvingly every time he got something right.

“How much further?” Jane asked, only an hour in.

“130 kilometers as the crow flies!” Tavish said boldly, getting a little wrapped up in the theatrics. When Jane just gave him a blank look, he said, ‘Bout another hour or two. Ah Jane, you’re going to love the keep. ‘S great, now that the other DeGroot’s aren’t living in it.”

Jane grumbled a bit, stretching his legs out as far as they would go before hitting the seat in front of him. “What was the keep like before?”

“Er…” Tavish looked to his mother, who was pursing her lips. “Full of people who didn’t like us? That and a little run down. Not that we’ve been there to take care of it, mind you.”

“Why didn’t they like us?” Violet asked with a tilt of her head.

Tavish felt he was treading close to a sensitive topic. He shrugged. “Dunno. Some people are just grumpy, lassie.”

Violet thought about that for a second. “Like Daddy?”

“What?!” Jane exclaimed, sounding legitimately horrified. “I am not! Violet, you don't think that do you?” He leaned forward in his chair, trying to get a better look at her.

To Violet’s credit, she tried to keep a straight face for a few seconds. But then she burst into giggles, and said, “Daddy’s very grumpy. And silly.”

Tavish joined her too, laughing uproariously. Jane leaned back in his seat and pouted, it was only a matter of time before they ganged up on him. “Well, at least I'm a grumpy someone that likes you guys,” he said, crossing his arms which just added to his pout.

“I like you too Daddy!” Violet leaned over in her seat and kissed Jane on the cheek.

Tavish, just about to shed a tear over the cuteness, instead said, “careful Violet, you’re going to wiggle right out of your seatbelt.”

They made it to the keep in less than two hours. The grey brick was nestled into the hill overlooking the road, a climb to get to the top. Tavish and Jane got into a small competition when they tried to carry all the luggage up in one go, and Tavish would never admit that he was about ready to pass out by the time they got to the top.

“You lasses doing alright back there?” he called down as Mrs. DeGroot tapped her way slowly up; cane in one hand and Violet’s little fist in the other.

He only got a “pah!” in response.

“I'm helping!” Violet yelled, raising the tiny child-sized backpack she was carrying in one hand.

“Looking good Violet!” Jane yelled back, trying to give her a thumbs up, which went poorly with both his hands were weighed down by suitcases.

Jane plopped the luggage down on the gravel path in front of the keep, turning around to Tavish who seemed to be wobbling as he took the last few steps.

“I keep telling you to work out more,” Jane said smugly.

“I work out-”, Tavish huffed, “hah- Plenty! In fact, YOU’RE the one, whofs- huh, lagging behind.” To prove this, he stepped forward and accidently dropped Mrs. DeGroot’s bag of clothes.

As if she could somehow recognize the sound of her own luggage falling onto the dirt path, Mum started to yell, “That better not be my clothes you are dragging in the dust!”

“Da dropped it!” Violet said next to her, betraying her fathers.

“We should teach her that Granny doesn't need to know everything,” Jane commented.

“That’ll certainly be a useful skill,” Tavish agreed.

They deposited the suitcases inside, unpacking enough to get out some fresh clothes and get rid of the grungy travel ware. Mrs. DeGroot had made Violet tartan skirt just for the occasion, and she sat still long enough to let it be put on her.

Once she was situated, Tavish gleefully pulled out a matching kilt from his bag. “Surprise laddie! There’s enough for all of us.”

Jane blinked slowly at the offending garment. “…Is this a joke?”

“Not, not a joke. Though it’ll be a might funny when we go strolling the countryside all wearing the DeGroot plaid.” Tavish enthusiastically offered Jane the kilt once again.

Jane pressed his mouth into a firm line to suppress the grimace that was attempting to make itself known. “Are you sure. It's weird right? I'm not Scottish, I don't wear sk- I mean kilts.”

Tavish could see the hesitation. Thinking he knew what has wrong, he approached Jane and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s not about being Scottish lad. It’s about being a DeGroot. Families all have their own patterns, see?” He indicated the kilt. “You’d be wearing on of ours.”

Jane coughed, turning a little red. “Thanks,” he murmured, gingerly grabbing the kilt from Tavish. Holding it, he stared at the piece of fabric, not really sure what to do.

“You got actually put it on Jane,” Tavish joked, but after a moment realized maybe Jane didn’t know how. “It’s just like getting in some trousers, one leg at a time.”

“I know how to put on pants!” Jane yelled. He kicked off his boots and then pants immediately, shoving a leg into the kilt with such gusto he tripped over himself and crashed into the floor. “Help! Tavish! Your crazy Scottish clothes are attacking me!”

“What did I just say?” Tavish said. He reached down to try and help Jane off the floor, only to start laughing so hard he fell over himself. “Jane…you got…heh heh…you got to just…calm down for a second!”

“I won't calm down until I'm dead!” Jane yelled at the top of his lungs. “Now stop laughing and help me damnit!

“I’m trying!” And he was. It was just very hard when Jane was wiggling so much. Tavish managed grab the edge of Jane’s kilt and shove his kicking leg in it, leaving them both tangled on the floor. “There! Though you’re going to have to take off your pants if you want to wear it properly.”

“I don't know what you are talking about Tavish, I DEFINITELY took my pants off.” Jane stood up off the floor and dusted himself off a bit.

Tavish got up and smiled at him. “I meant underpants, Jane," he said with a wink.

Jane's eyes bugged out of his head. “You have to be kidding me Tavish, you want me to go walking around those WINDY cliffs and NO underpants on?” He took a moment for a deep breath. “I am wearing this because I love you, but I am not walking around in it commando.”

Tavish patted him on the shoulder. “You know what lad, you’ve done this much for me, I’ll let it slide.” Then he grinned wide. “That isn’t stopping me from putting on mine though!” And he rushed off to grab his own.

In minutes they were down in the keep’s central chamber, and Violet brightened at the sight of them. “You have skirts too!”

“Kilts,” Jane corrected, earning him a warm look from Tavish.

As they prepared to head out, Tavish caught Jane fidgeting in front of the mirror.

“You look nice,” Tavish noted, coming up behind him. Quietly, he added, “got the legs for it. Just like I told you.”

“Shut up Tav.”

Once Jane had shoved him off, Tavish went to check on Violet. “You look beautiful Vi. what do you think of your skirt?” he asked, crouching down to get a better look at it.

“I like it 'cuz we match!” She said bouncing up and down a bit and pointing at the matching pattern on all four of them.

“That we do,” Mum said, who’d changed into her own long skirt. “As I always say, the family that keeps the tartan keeps together.”

“When have you ever said that, Mum?” Tavish raised his eyebrow.

“Just now. Pay attention Tavish! This is your heritage you’re walking on, least you can do is stay in the moment.”

Jane laughed. “Yeah Tavish, respect the tartan.”

Tavish often said Jane was a bit of a kiss-ass when it came to his mum, but it was only on the rare occasion that Jane did it on purpose just to tease him. He squinted at Jane’s smugness, but did no more than that in front of Violet. “Lets head out then. We’re the perfect outfit for a walk by the cliffs.”

“Actually, I was going to go sit with your Da for a bit,” Mum told him. “You all can go on without me if you like.”

Jane looked at Tavish and frowned, knowing his father was a touchy subject. “What do you think? You want to go now or stay for a bit?” Jane asked, grabbing Violet's hands as she's been tugging on his kilt.

“…Aye. For a little bit. I’ll come find you when I’m done.” Tavish thought it was right, to pay his respects at the very least.

“No, Tav...” Jane reached out and laced their fingers together. “We should all go.”

Tavish hesitated, but that sounded like something he should say yes to. “Alright,” he nodded. “You ready to go meet Granddad, Violet?”

“Yeah!” Violet said, tugging on Mum’s hand.

They glided through the keep, the old building feeling the emptiest since they got there. At the far end was the family cemetery, standing out at the edge of the cliff and dotted with white tombstones. They approached forlornly, even the usually exuberant Violet now silent. Tavish finally stopped them in front the freshest looking headstone.

_Robert Calum DeGroot_

_1899-1932_

_“The wicked die and disappear, but the family of the godly stands firm.”_

The silence was heavy, and out the corner of his eye, Tavish saw Jane lower his head solemnly. He appreciated the gesture. He tried not to let it weaken him, to stop the tear that was already forming at his eye, but to no avail. He pressed back sideways into Jane for comfort.

Mrs. DeGroot unfolded the blanket she’d been carrying, and laid it gently beside the grave. She patted for Violet to join her, and the toddler sat down and pulled dandelions out of the grass.

“Haven’t been back here since…” Tavish muttered. “Since we laid him to rest. The final time.”

“It it hard to come back here?” Jane asked quietly.

Tavish took a breath. Then another. “It’s easier. With you.” He looked at Mum and Violet: his mother having made her peace long ago, and his daughter not fully understanding death just yes. He sighed.

“Hi Da,” he started, like he always used to when he was a kid, back when he visited the grave regularly. “Brought a couple more folks with me this time! This here is Jane.” Tavish motioned to his side. “You’ve never met him before, but I think if you did, you would like him if you did. He’s real important to me, so be nice.”

Tavish shot Jane a smile that didn’t reach his eye.

To Jane, he said, “you don’t have to say anything if you don’t like. It can be awkward talking to an inanimate headstone.”

“No, I’d like to.”

He licked his lips as he prepared to speak, straightening his spine into proper military posture.

“Hello Mr. DeGroot,” Jane started. “I'm Jane, well you already know that now.” He paused, sparing a glance at Tavish who was just watching him sadly. “What I want to say is... Thanks. For Tavish, for being his dad, even if it wasn't for a very long time. He is a great man, you must be so proud... I don't know what I'd do without him, so, I guess I owe you a lot.” He looked Tavish in the eye. “I love him a lot, even if he did make me wear this itchy kilt.”

Tavish elbowed him lightly in the side, but a smile played at his lips. “Sometimes we have to suffer for pride,” he said sagely. He turned back to the headstone. “Jane ‘n I have a daughter. Your granddaughter. Violet, come say hi to Granddad.”

“Hi Granddad,” Violet waved. It was with the same amount of thought that she said “goodnight moon,” or “good morning sun,” when Tavish asked her to. Oh well. At some point she’d be able to understand the importance of it.

“Heh. Yeah,” Tavish finished. “So that’s that. Love you Da. Miss you.”

Jane slid his arm around Tavish's waist and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Glad to see the family back together,” he joked.

They stood for a moment longer, but (as always) Tavish felt he was out of things to say pretty quick. He wiped his eye on the back of his sleeve and turned to Mrs. DeGroot. “I’ll let you two have some time alone. Come on Violet, let’s go take a look at the view.”

“Yeah!” Violet said, sitting up. “High lands!”

“Race you there!” Jane cheered, and Violet raced off in a random direction, giggling all the way. He broke away from Tavish then chased after her, letting her remain just out of arm's reach.

Tavish placed a hand on his mother’s shoulder. She put hers over his, and gave him a small nod. That was all he needed, and he went racing after Jane and Violet.

They roamed all over the hills, for a while at least. (A brief scare when Violet got too close to one of the edges made Tavish hold tightly on to her the rest of the evening.) In the end, they all began to slow down, starting to yawn as the approached a gentle incline overlooking the sunset.

Jane made the executive decision to plop down on the crest of the hill with a sigh, leaning back into the grass. He patted the spot beside him, summoning Tavish and Violet sit down as well.

“I gotta say Tav, it's a beautiful view.”

“I’m glad I could finally share it with you.” Violet snuggled up between them, yawning and rubbing her eyes. “Both of you.”

He watched the green hills of his home country slowly turn orange in the fading light.

“We’ve done pretty well for ourselves in the past few years, eh?”

“Definitely,” Jane said, kissing Violet on the forehead. “The best years of my life, and I can't wait to see what comes next, who our girl will grow up to be.”

“Be with you every step of the way.”


End file.
